…Welcomes 21 others after completing their Master’s program —
Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, the member representing Bichi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has welcomed 21 beneficiaries of his foreign scholarship programme who recently returned to Nigeria after completing their Master’s degree programmes abroad.
The lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriation, also flagged off the second batch of the programme, comprising 38 beneficiaries who are scheduled to travel abroad for Master’s degree studies.
The event was held on Monday at Hagagawa Mini Stadium, Bichi, Kano State, where the returning scholars were formally welcomed while the new beneficiaries were presented with awards and flagged off for their studies.
The first batch of beneficiaries studied science and technology-related courses, including Cybersecurity, Software Engineering and Information Technology.
According to the organisers, six of the returning beneficiaries have secured employment with the Federal Government and are expected to commence work this week.
The event was attended by members of the National Assembly, community leaders, stakeholders, representatives of dignitaries, scholarship beneficiaries and their families.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Abubakar said the scholarship programme was part of efforts to address gaps in education and contribute to human capital development in the constituency.
He recalled that the first batch was sent to Malaysia about one and a half years ago to pursue postgraduate studies.
“If you remember, one and a half years ago, we gathered here to see you off as you departed for Malaysia to pursue your Master’s degree. Alhamdulillah, today we are here again to welcome you back after successfully completing your Master’s degree,” he said.
The lawmaker commended the returning beneficiaries for their commitment to their studies, saying their academic achievements demonstrated the importance of providing young people with opportunities to acquire advanced education and skills.
“I was impressed by your dedication. As we can see today, you have all become high flyers in your different fields after graduation.
“This initiative is part of my efforts to address existing educational gaps and fast-track our country’s development. Globally, human capital is the number one asset, and it is against this backdrop that we have taken this step,” he said.
Mr Abubakar also urged the second batch of beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies and conduct themselves responsibly while abroad.
He charged them to become good ambassadors of Nigeria and return with knowledge and skills that could contribute to the development of their communities and the country.
He said arrangements had been made to ensure that the new beneficiaries had a conducive environment for their studies.
“In this regard, I feel that the best action is to support what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf are doing by providing access to education for less privileged youths,” he said.
Earlier, the Secretary of the Foreign Scholarship Committee, Dr Ado Abdu Bichi, said the 38 new beneficiaries were selected on merit following a comprehensive screening exercise.
He said the selection process was designed to ensure that qualified candidates benefited from the programme.
Mr Abdu commended the initiative, saying it would contribute to increasing the number of highly educated young people from Bichi Federal Constituency.
