Sam Kaye
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has approved N1.3 billion scholarship to 997 nursing and midwifery students of the College of nursing and midwifery Maiduguri.
Before the announcement Wednesday, the scholarship programme received about 1,080 nominations, 40 each from the 27 council areas of the state.
However, after an entrance examination, only 997 passed and qualified to benefit from the scholarship which is meant to boost the personnel base of the health sector.
The Governor launched the scholarship programme with a promise of a brand new ICT Centre at the College.
Zulum noted that with the award of scholarships, the beneficiaries would, on graduation, bridge the workforce demands in the state’s healthcare service by working for a period of five years which is part of the bond they will be signing up for individually if they accept the award.
The intention obviously is to boast the delivery on health care in the state and the fact that Borno has never been able to fill the personnel deficit which the insurgency plunged the sector into.
However, if any student feels he or she cannot accept the bonding, they are free to opt out,the governor said.
Prof Zulum revealed that government has allocated a total of ₦1,305,189,000 for scholarships, with a breakdown of ₦124,149,000 earmarked for tuition fees.
The remaining ₦1,181,040,000 will be disbursed as a monthly bursary of ₦30,000 to each beneficiary throughout their studies.
Zulum further stated that his administration was constructing two Colleges of nursing, one in the northern part of the state and the other one in the southern part.
The Governor assured that the two Colleges would be completed and opened for academic activities at Gwoza and Munguno this year.
Highlighting the government’s efforts, the Commissioner for Education, Engr Lawan Wakilbe, disclosed that from May 29, 2019 to date, Zulum’s administration had approved over N6 billion for scholarship with N2.7 billion of that amount paid from May 29, 2023 to date.
In his bid to ensure that all is well for everyone in the College the Governor awarded a total of 100,000 naira to each of the students studying in the college.
An announcement that was heralded with massive jubilation in the main campus which included students from all over the country.
The amount which went up to N201 million allowance to the entire 2,010 students of the College of Nursing will be paid by next week into the account of all the students to assist them in their studies.
Krestnews reports that the occasion featured the commissioning of a lecture theatre complex and a 3,000 capacity multipurpose hall for the College.
Meanwhile the Nursing Council of Nigeria (NCN) has commended Borno State Governor, Zulum for his commitment to improving nursing practice in the state.
A representative of the council’s registrar Dr Farouk Abubakar while speaking noted that the scholarship awarded by the governor was the first of its kind so far in the entire country.
Director of Standard and Accreditation, Alhassan Ndagi, who represented Dr Abubakar used his authority to give an extension of two more years to the school for its basic nursing course which has been scrapped in the .
He commended the government for the heavy largess totaling over N1.5 billion in scholarships and bursaries for nursing and midwifery students in Maiduguri.
The register further applauded the performance of the nursing students from Borno for maintenance of your employees in the high standards imparted upon them by their tutors.
“Almost eery year at the national examinations, students from Borno have maintained a score of more than 90 percent which to me is commendable by all standards” he concluded.