The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reported that a total of 2,889 students pursuing education-related courses in Nigerian higher institutions have benefited from N75,000 bursary awards. Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed this information during the first quarterly meeting of the Federal Ministry of Education held on Tuesday. The ministry had called for applications in 2022 from eligible students studying Education courses in universities and colleges of education.
During the World Teachers Day celebration in 2021, the Federal Government announced that students enrolled in degree programs in Education at public universities would receive a N75,000 stipend per semester, while those in the Nigeria Certificate in Education program would receive N50,000 per semester. Mamman shared that as of Tuesday, 2,889 students have already benefitted from the scheme. Furthermore, Mamman provided statistics on other scholarship programs under the Federal Scholarship Board, revealing that 345 individuals received the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship, 51 received the Commonwealth scholarship, 2,122 were beneficiaries of the Nigerian Scholarship Award, and 724 individuals benefitted from the Teachers Internship Scheme.
Earlier, Minister of State for Education, Tanko Sununu, highlighted that the quarterly citizenship engagement aimed to raise awareness about the ministry’s activities and foster mutual understanding with stakeholders and citizens. He emphasized that the engagement also sought to build public trust, enhance transparency, and ensure accountability in the education sector. Sununu noted the engagement’s role in improving efficiency and streamlining government operations by identifying and addressing bottlenecks.
Mamman mentioned plans for security agencies to pursue individuals with fake degree certificates in the country, following the submission of the investigative committee’s report on degree mills. This committee was set up by the Federal Ministry of Education in response to an investigative report by Daily Nigerian. The report detailed how Umar Audu obtained a degree within six weeks from a degree mill in Benin Republic, leading to the Nigerian government prohibiting the accreditation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo. The committee was also tasked with examining private universities established in Nigeria over the last 15 years.
At the first quarterly citizens engagement in Abuja, Mamman announced that the committee investigating fake degrees had solicited public input and conducted visits to institutions in Benin Republic. He assured that individuals holding fake certificates would be apprehended once the committee submits its report, with security agencies actively tracking them down. Dr. Tanko Sununu reiterated the purpose of the engagement, emphasizing its role in increasing awareness of ministry activities, promoting transparency, and enhancing efficiency in government operations by addressing challenges.
