In a significant move to alleviate financial stress on students, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has initiated the disbursement of N646.8 million as bursary allowance to 20,347 verified Kogi State students in tertiary institutions nationwide. This initiative is part of the second season of his students support programme, aimed at supporting students in higher education.
The flag-off ceremony, tagged “Gov. Ododo Students Support Season 2”, took place at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Lokoja. During the event, the Executive Chairman of the State Scholarship Board, KSSB, Mr. Afolabi Joseph-Raji, highlighted that the Ododo administration revived the bursary scheme, which had not been paid since 2019, and recommenced it in 2024 with a 150 per cent increment.
The bursary allowance has been increased from N12,000 to N30,000 per student, while medical students, who previously received N18,000, will now get N75,000 each. Additionally, Joseph-Raji disclosed that the governor abolished the old practice where students paid N650 for scratch cards to access the portal without guarantee of payment. Instead, he directed that applications must be free, paperless, online, and transparent.
In the 2024/2025 session, the Board disbursed N256.4 million to 8,549 undergraduates at N30,000 each and N60.3 million to Law School students at N300,000 each, in addition to other scholarships totaling N261 million. The Board has also been equipped with a seven-seater utility vehicle to ease mobilisation and introduced initiatives like the Governor Ododo Campus Quiz Challenge and the Radio Quiz Challenge.
For the 2025/2026 bursary, 20,347 students have been screened and verified, with undergraduates to receive N30,000 each and medical students N75,000 each, totaling N646.8 million. The payment will be in phases, beginning with students in institutions within Kogi State, while students in over 300 institutions outside the state will be paid in the second tranche.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor, the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, commended the leadership of the National Association of Kogi State Students, NAKOSS, for their patience and peaceful conduct during the delay. He emphasized that education has the highest allocation in the state budget at 30 per cent, demonstrating the governor’s commitment to education.
The Commissioner for Education also highlighted other interventions by the state government, including payment of Common Entrance, Basic Six, BECE, WAEC for SS3 students in public schools, and NABTEB for technical college students, as well as free CBT training for SS3 students. He urged students to take advantage of the Federal Government’s NELFUND loan scheme.
Key points
- Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, disburses N646.8 million as bursary allowance to 20,347 verified Kogi State students.
- The bursary allowance has been increased from N12,000 to N30,000 per student, while medical students will now get N75,000 each.
- The payment will be in phases, beginning with students in institutions within Kogi State, while students in over 300 institutions outside the state will be paid in the second tranche.
