Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda has announced a 100% increase in the bursary allowance of 19,318 studentsby, as the government commenced disbursement of N689.79 million to the students.
The bursary is for the 19,318 verified students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Radda said at the event on Monday in Katsina that the last review of the bursary allowance was done 19 years ago in 2007.
The governor, however, announced a 150 per cent increase for Veterinary Medicine students in 300 and 400 levels, 200 per cent for those in 500 and 600 levels, and N500,000 each for the 56 Katsina indigenes at the Nigerian Law School.
On foreign scholarships, Radda said the state is sponsoring 118 students – 41 studying Medicine in Egypt, 10 in Ethiopia, 33 studying Artificial Intelligence and 34 Bioengineering in China – with an upkeep commitment exceeding N1.7 billion, plus tuition, accommodation and health insurance.
He said total bursary payments and student awards by his administration now exceed N3.29 billion, from over N2.6 billion previously disbursed.
Radda also unveiled a new local scholarship scheme for 1,700 students – 50 best performing NECO and WAEC students from each of the 34 LGAs – to study Nursing, Engineering, ICT, Agriculture and Education in state-owned institutions.
He charged the Scholarship Board to sustain transparency, verification and accountability in managing public funds.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Scholarship Board, Dr. Aminu Salisu Tsauri, said the Board has returned N86 million unclaimed funds to the state coffers through improved digital verification, adding that 14,925 new applicants have been screened for payment before the end of 2026.
Dr. Tsauri also disclosed a N3.27 billion scholarship package for 44 students at Nahda University, Egypt.
The Commissioner for Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, Hon. Sani Aliyu JB Daura and his Local Government and Emirates Affairs counterpart, Hon. Bashir Tanimu said the interventions demonstrate the administration’s commitment to inclusive and competitive education.
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