By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
Lokoja
Lokoja, Sept. 24, 2026 – The Kogi State Government on Thursday flagged off the disbursement of N646.8 million bursary allowance to 20,347 Kogi State students in tertiary institutions across the country.
The development signifies a renewed demonstration of the administration’s commitment to education and students’ welfare.
The flag-off ceremony was held on Thursday at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Lokoja, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones.
Under the scheme, each eligible student will receive N30,000, while medical students will receive an enhanced N75,000 in recognition of the higher financial demands associated with medical education.
Speaking through the Commissioner for Education, Governor Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an educational environment where students of the state origin can pursue their studies with reduced financial pressure.
The Governor also commended the students and their representatives for maintaining constructive engagement with government, stressing the importance of cooperation between government and the student community.
He urged the student leaders to continue working with the government, assuring them of an open-door administration.
The Governor emphasised that his office remains accessible to the people, particularly young Nigerians, and encouraged students to sustain dialogue rather than resort to confrontation.
He further highlighted the substantial attention being given to education by his administration, noting that the sector remains a major priority in the state’s development agenda.
According to him, the government is determined not to reduce its investment in education but to continue strengthening the sector through improved funding and institutional development
The Governor also acknowledged the contributions of the immediate past administration of former Governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to the development of tertiary education in Kogi State.
He recalled the establishment of universities and other tertiary institutions during the previous administration, noting that the expansion has helped increase access to higher education within the state.
He cited the state’s universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, College of Nursing and other specialised institutions as evidence of the expanding tertiary education landscape in Kogi.
Governor Ododo said the availability of programmes such as medicine, law and nursing within the state had reduced the pressure on students to seek such courses outside Kogi.
The Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Mr. Afolabi Joseph Raji, disclosed that the N646.8 million covers 20,347 beneficiaries under the 2025/2026 academic session.
He explained that the first batch, for which N403 million was presented at the ceremony, covers about 13,000 students studying in tertiary institutions within Kogi State, while more than 7,000 students studying outside the state will be captured in the second batch.
Joseph-Raji said the medical students would begin receiving their alerts immediately, followed by other beneficiaries, assuring that the entire 20,347 beneficiaries would receive their payments before the end of the week, subject to the disbursement process.
The Scholarship Board Chairman noted that the development represented a significant expansion of the programme, recalling that only about 8,000 students benefited during the first season.
He said the number had now risen to more than 20,000 beneficiaries, describing the increase as a major expansion of the state’s student-support programme.
In his address, the outgoing National President of the National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Comrade Sunday Adeola Simon, expressed appreciation to Governor Ododo for approving the commencement of the bursary disbursement.
Simon recalled that the application process began in September 2025 and acknowledged that the process experienced delays before reaching the disbursement stage.
He said student representatives chose dialogue, patience and constructive engagement throughout the period, rather than confrontation.
According to him, the student leadership resisted calls for disruptive action and remained hopeful that the government would eventually respond to the concerns of the students.
He described the bursary as more than financial assistance, saying it demonstrated that the welfare and educational needs of Kogi students remained important to the government.
The outgoing NAKOSS president also appealed to the Governor to extend similar consideration to students studying outside Kogi State and Kogi indigenes at the Nigerian Law School, so that no category of Kogi students would feel excluded from government support.
The event brought together government officials, education stakeholders, student leaders and representatives of the Kogi student community, who witnessed the formal presentation of the cheque for the first batch of beneficiaries.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
