Celebrating Harvests Of GOV. Buni’s Investments In Education
By Mamman Mohammed
In far away Portsmouth, United Kingdom, one of the beneficiaries of the Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, foreign scholarship programme, Usman Mohammed Kadai, has done Yobe state, Nigeria, and indeed, Africa proud. He graduated as the best student from the department of Software Engineering with a First Class honours, to receive the university’s prestigious undergraduate Project Award, thus, justifying Buni’s investment in education and indeed his purposeful and timely declaration of emergency on education.
This great achievement is further reflected in the scholarship awarded by Gov. Buni to 371 Yobe indigenes spread across 16 countries to pursue various courses based on the Recovery Through Education and Scholarship (RETES) initiative forged by His Excellency at the beginning of his administration in 2019. In recent times, the world witnessed the batches of Yobe graduates returning from India as part of the 233 sponsored in 2020 to pursue various professional disciplines in seven, carefully selected top ranking Universities. By the end of 2024, it is expected that over 200 of these students will graduate and return home to contribute to nation building.
Today, every son of Yobe should be proud that the Buni administration’s investment in education is yielding great results, with a league of professionals graduating with flying colours from both Nigerian and foreign universities.
It is worth noting that since His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON declared a ‘State of Emergency’ on Education in 2019, purposeful measures have been implemented to revitalise the state’s Primary and Basic Education sectors. This declaration was, indeed, followed by unprecedented political will and commitment to achieving the stated goals. As the state works towards remedying the severe impact caused by the protracted Boko Haram insurgency.
Focused on these objectives, the state government swiftly convened the first-ever Education Summit. Erudite scholars, seasoned education administrators, serving and retired teachers with many years of experience, and other stakeholders were convened to brainstorm on the state’s primary and secondary education with a view to proffer lasting and sustainable solutions.
The summit came up with a committee under the chairmanship of the erudite scholar, Prof. Malah Daura, Vice Chancellor of Yobe state University, Damaturu, who was also a former Vice Chancellor of University of Maiduguri, with a membership of very distinguished educationists. The committee, after a tour of schools across the state, came up with short, medium, and long-term recommendations to effectively address education challenges in the state.
The Buni administration speedily adopted the recommendations, implementing them according to availability of resources at its disposal. And soon, structures razed down by the insurgency were reconstructed and rehabilitated. Books and instructional materials were procured in bulk and distributed to schools throughout the state.
Similarly, the recruitment of more than 4,000 teachers to replace those who died or left the state, along with the training and retraining of existing teachers, has significantly improved the quality of primary and basic education in the state. This multifaceted and demand-driven intervention in creating a conducive environment through school construction and reconstruction, procurement of books and teaching tool, and the employment and training of teachers has resulted in Yobe state students performing exceptionally well in external examinations, leading to excellent grades for admission into tertiary institutions both at home and abroad. The students now proudly post their SSCE, JAMB, NABTEB and other results on the social media platforms, showcasing their performances for the world to see.
Today, over 38,180 Yobe state students have benefited from scholarships provided by the state government as they pursue their first degree, Masters and Doctorate degrees in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria and other tertiary institutions spread across the world. Out of this number, 371 students are studying in universities in 16 countries, including Egypt, India, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia, Russia, and others. Among them are medical doctors pursuing their consultancy programmes, as well as tertiary institution tutors pursuing their PhDs.
Four years ago, 233 students, otherwise known as Buni Scholars, were sponsored to study Civil Engineering, Computer Technology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Optometry, Radiology, General Nursing, Agriculture, Information Technology, and Petroleum Engineering among others in India. These scholars have today made the government and people of Yobe state proud as they graduate with flying colours in their chosen careers to provide the required manpower to serve the people better, justifying the government’s investment in the education sector.
Similarly, over 400 law students were supported with registration that’s up to 475,000 naira each in addition to a laptop as they pursue their mandatory professional membership course at the Nigeria Law School. Similarly, Yobe indigenes studying medicine across Nigeria receive a monthly allowance of 34,500 naira each. In addition, Yobe students of Community Midwifery and Community Nursing at the Shehu Sule College receive a monthly allowance of 30,000 each. And all other nursing programmes receive a 10,000 naira monthly allowance. The state also supports other professional courses within and outside the civil service that include courses for ICAN, ANAN, ASCON etc.
Yobe State has ensured that it continues to support the growth of its educational institutions, that today, thousands of students are admitted into the Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery and the Mai Galadima Kyari College of Health Technology, Nguru.
Mrs. Aisha Muhammad, a mother of six, whose daughter is a beneficiary of the scholarship programme, said “The fact that most of the benefitting students are from indigent backgrounds and given this opportunity is never in question. Thank you, our dear governor, for giving the less privileged a chance to be educated.’
“Our dear governor, your investments in education remain the best legacy any government can bequeath to its citizens for a brighter and more prosperous future. There is no doubt that these investments will touch every life in Yobe, and with a prosperous future for our dear state. Thank you, sir, and thank you again” she said.
It is therefore not surprising that His Excellency Hon. Mai Mala Buni, CON, was honoured with an award of excellence by the Association of African Students in India (AASI). It is interesting that Governor Buni has been included in the Association’s prestigious club of Pan African legacy achievers.
At the award ceremony were African students from 46 Universities, their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Algeria, Malawi, Gambia, Seychelles, Ghana, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Zambia, Angola, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Ambassador of Jamaica.
Represented by Dr. Abubakar Kagu, the Executive Secretary of Yobe state Scholarship Board, Governor Buni said “You should all remember that you are not only the future of your respective nations but also the generation that is expected to build on the legacies of good governance, accountability, and stability all over the African continent. Your education in India comes with diverse experiences that has reshaped your worldview. You should carry this experience forward as a torch for prosperity; as an instrument for innovation, growth, and nation-building.”
It is now abundantly clear that the foresight for the investment in education by the Buni administration is translating into huge success to the benefit of the state and its people. Alhamdulillah!
Mamman is the Director-General Press and Media Affairs to Gov. Buni
