By Muhammad Sani Muazu
Bauchi, Nigeria – The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has unveiled plans to distribute bursary allowances to students from the North East region currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. This initiative, aimed at alleviating the financial burden on students from the insurgency-affected region, was announced during a recent meeting of state scholarship boards held in Bauchi from September 27th to 29th.
The head of the NEDC’s Scholarship, Training, and Capacity Building unit, Khalifa Muhammad Lawal, highlighted the significance of the bursary scheme, describing it as a form of relief to help students cope with the rising cost of living. “The NEDC aims to provide a bursary allowance to every student from the North East studying in higher institutions. This will ensure that students remain focused on their education and reduce dropout rates,” Lawal stated.
The scheme is part of the NEDC’s broader strategy to promote human capital development in the region, focusing on capacity building and scholarship programs. According to Lawal, the Commission is working closely with state scholarship boards to ensure accurate data collection and seamless distribution of the bursary.
“We have already collected data from each state’s scholarship board, and the management of the NEDC is finalizing the necessary steps to implement the bursary. We also aim to develop specific scholarship programs to help students pursue studies in critical fields that will benefit the region, particularly in light of recent discoveries such as oil in the North East,” Lawal added.
The bursary program is part of the NEDC’s efforts to rebuild the North East by investing in education and equipping young people with the skills needed for the region’s development. In addition to the bursary, the Commission plans to attract international scholarships and create more opportunities for youth from the North East to study abroad and contribute to the region’s growth.
The meeting of state scholarship board executives underscored the importance of education in the North East’s recovery and praised the NEDC’s initiative. Scholarship board representatives expressed their commitment to collaborating with the NEDC to ensure the program’s success and to expand access to quality education for students across the region.
With these efforts, the NEDC aims to foster a brighter future for the region by empowering its youth through education and capacity building.