Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has declared that his state is the only one in Nigeria providing completely free education and full scholarships for students, both within the country and overseas. He made this known on Thursday while receiving the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Matters, Mr. Sunday Dare, at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.
Idris revealed that his administration had recently paid around ₦2.7 billion in tuition fees for Kebbi indigenes studying in tertiary institutions locally and abroad. He emphasized that the goal is to ease the financial burden on parents, especially those with several children in higher institutions.
The governor noted that education in Kebbi is entirely free from primary through tertiary levels. He added that the monthly allocation for feeding students in boarding schools had been doubled from ₦150 million to ₦300 million. In addition, his administration lifted an employment freeze and recruited 5,000 qualified teachers to improve learning quality.
To upgrade infrastructure, Idris said 2,004 schools have been renovated and over 340 new schools constructed. He also praised President Bola Tinubu for his support in infrastructure development, highlighting the 1,008-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, with Kebbi benefiting from 280 kilometers of the project.
The governor expressed appreciation for the federal government’s decision to revoke the Koko-Zuru road contract, allowing Kebbi to take over the project and complete it faster, with reimbursement expected later.
He also commended President Tinubu’s new student loan scheme, describing it as a groundbreaking move in Nigeria’s educational history. The state, he added, is aligning its initiatives with the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President’s aide, Mr. Dare, praised the governor’s commitment to education, while the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Olusola Oladejo, applauded the construction of four new mega schools across the state’s emirates.
