Sokoto state government has given approval for the transfer back home of 39
of its citizens currently in various schools in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates.
In today’s exchange rate, the move will enable the government save over
N500m from the policy.
The government said this signals change of priorities in the payment of
scholarship to study abroad.
“The transfer/relocation of the students was necessitated by the need to
conserve funds and apply same to more critical areas in the education
sector,” the state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said this Friday in
Sokoto when he received the report of the committee instituted to advise
government on the issue.
He added that admissions have been secured for all the students in Nigerian
schools, while arrangements have been made to ensure that none of them
misses a grade level upon their return home.
“As at the time we sent the children to Dubai to study last year, the state
government was spending over 400 million Naira per annum to maintain them
there. The last administration had good intentions when it sent them to
Dubai to further their studies, but the current financial situation of the
state can no longer allow us to continue with this burden.
“We explained to the parents and guardians of the students that as at
today, Sokoto state government spends over 500 million Naira to maintain
17,000 of its citizens on scholarship in various schools in Nigeria. So
having to pay N400 million for 38 students in Dubai was weighing heavily on
the scarce resources of the state.
“We thank them for their understanding,” the Governor added.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Transfer/Relocation committee of
the students, Deputy Governor Ahmad Aliyu, said government decided to bring
them home due to the high cost of maintaining them in the UAE.
He said government had ensured that admissions were secured for them in
local universities and all is set for them to resume their academic
programmes without delay.