Zulum approves N1.3 billion scholarship for 997 nursing students

• UNICEF urges Borno to empower SBMCs for schools’ safety 

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved N1.3 billion scholarship for 997 nursing and midwifery students, who are indigenes of the state.

This was as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the state government to strengthen its School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) to protect schools and children against attacks.

The scholarship programme received about 1,080 nominations, 40 from each of the 27 local councils of the state. However, after a screening, 997 qualified for the scholarship.

The governor unveiled the scholarship, yesterday, at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri.

Zulum noted that the beneficiaries would, on graduation, bridge the workforce demands in the state’s healthcare due to the increasing population.

He said: “The government has allocated N1,305,189,000 for scholarships, with N124,149,000 for tuition fees. The remaining N1,181,040,000 will be disbursed as a monthly stipend of N30,000 to each beneficiary throughout their studies.”

In the same vein, Zulum has awarded N201 million bursary to 2,010 students of Maiduguri College of Nursing, who had not benefited from the scholarship.
The governor directed that each of the 2,010 nursing and midwifery students be credited with a bursary of N100,000.

While commissioning a lecture theatre complex and a 3,000-capacity multipurpose hall for the college, he announced automatic employment for the 997 beneficiaries and other nursing students, who excelled academically, on completion of their studies.

The Nursing Council of Nigeria (NCN) has commended the governor for his commitment to improved nursing practice in the state, noting that the scholarship was the first of its kind and the largest so far in the country.

Registrar of the Council, Dr Farouk Abubakar, who was represented by the Director of Standard and Accreditation, Alhassan Ndagi, gave the commendation while delivering a goodwill message at the flag-off of the N1.3 billion scholarship.

The register applauded the performance of the nursing students from Borno, stating that every year at the national examinations, students from Borno scored more than 90 per cent.

According to UNICEF, the engagement of the committees will enhance intelligence gathering to ensure safety in schools.

The call was made by UNICEF Education Specialist, Dr Adamu Bulama, yesterday, in Maiduguri, at a six-member panel discussion on school safety to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram.

He disclosed that capacity building for the SBMCs could facilitate the implementation of safety measures to protect both students and children in schools.

Bulama added that there should be advocacy for funding to sustain the safety of all schools, with the installation of Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) in all the schools.

The panellists resolved that the traditional rulers should be engaged in the recruitment of teachers in various communities.

Corroborating the panelists, the head of Auno VIllage, Abba Tujja, said: “If the state government had engaged us in the recruitment and screening of teachers for Auno primary and junior secondary school, our children would not have been raped by the teacher.”

He said the case of multiple rapes of pupils and students is with the police.