The Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Kano state, says it has offered foreign scholarship to 242 postgraduate students to study in universities in India and Sudan. Sen. Rabi’u Kwankwaso, the founder of the foundation and former governor of Kano state, made the disclosure at a send off party for beneficiaries of the programme in Kano on Tuesday.
He said the foundation had paid all the fees ranging from tuition, accommodation and personal allowances for the beneficiaries as well as their return tickets.
He said only eight of the beneficiaries who are Arabic-based students would go to Sudan for their postgraduate programme while the rest 234 would study in four Indian universities.
“Initially, the students were 370, out of which 242 were selected to go for their postgraduate degree programmes under the first phase of the programme,” he said.
Kwankwaso, urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of opportunity provided them to uplift their living standards.
He also urged them to be good ambassadors of the state and the country at large by concentrating on their studies while in Sudan and India.
In his remarks, a former Secretary to the State Government, Dr Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi said the foundation is aimed at lifting the living standards of Kano people through provision of quality education and empowerment of the down trodden.
He said all the 242 students graduated with first class degrees from various universities within and outside the country.
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Also speaking, the state’s PDP governorship candidate in the 2019 general election, Alhaji Abba Kabir-Yusuf thanked Kwankwaso for his foresight and commitment towards empowering women and youths.
“This is the first time an individual is sponsoring such a number of students to pursue postgraduate degree courses outside the country.
“We must commend this singular effort by no other person than former governor of Kano state and national leader of Kwankwasiyya movement,”he said.
In his goodwill message, the former governor of Edo state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion said education is very important for social and economic development of any country.
He commended the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation and founder of the NGO for sponsoring the students.
NAN reports that the students have since left Kano for their overseas programmes through Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.