The Kogi State Government has approved N646.8 million for the payment of bursary allowances to 20,157 students from the state studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Governor Usman Ododo announced the disbursement during the official commencement of the bursary payment programme at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Lokoja.
The governor said his administration would continue to support the welfare and educational needs of Kogi students in higher institutions.
As part of the latest intervention, Ododo increased the bursary for undergraduate students from N12,000 to N30,000, while the allowance for medical students was raised from N30,000 to N75,000.
Represented at the event by the Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, the governor said the selection process was designed to accommodate eligible Kogi students studying in tertiary institutions across the country.
He disclosed that the Kogi State Scholarship Board was responsible for identifying and selecting qualified beneficiaries under the programme.
Ododo also acknowledged interventions by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), saying such initiatives, alongside the state’s bursary programme, would provide additional support for students pursuing higher education.
He urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the available government interventions and remain focused on their academic pursuits.
The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Dr Afolabi Raji, commended the governor for increasing the bursary allocations.
Raji said the undergraduate allowance had risen substantially from N12,000 in 2024 to N18,000 before reaching the current N30,000, while the bursary for medical students increased from N30,000 to N75,000.
He said the state government’s revival of the Scholarship Board had led to the introduction of new measures aimed at improving support for students from Kogi State.
According to Raji, more than 8,000 students benefited from the first phase of the programme last year.
He added that following the latest online application exercise, more than 20,000 students applied for the bursary.
After the screening and verification process, 13,157 students were selected as beneficiaries for the current payment exercise, according to the Scholarship Board.
Raji said beneficiaries would receive alerts for the approved amounts, with undergraduates receiving N30,000 and medical students receiving N75,000.
The outgoing National President of the National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Sunday Adeola, also commended the state government for increasing the bursary allowances.
Adeola said the students’ body would continue to engage the government constructively and support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of students.
He, however, appealed to the state government to extend the bursary programme to Kogi indigenes studying at law schools and other higher institutions across the country.
