Governor of the Power State (Niger State), Mohammed Umaru Bago, has announced free tuition for all 809 newly admitted students of Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna (AKUM), for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
Bago made the declaration during the university’s matriculation ceremony held in Minna.
He also revealed that two percent of the state’s total investment portfolio would be set aside as an endowment fund for the university. The governor explained that his administration would continue to support AKUM to become a leading public university in the country.
Bago disclosed that he had cancelled the plan to sponsor students abroad, saying the government would now channel such funds into strengthening local institutions.
“It is not wrong for a leader to make a statement and retract the statement. We had a vision to take some students to a foreign land on scholarship, but today, I have cancelled that decision. I will rather invest the money budgeted for the foreign scholarship here,” he said.
He added that the state would construct a housing estate for staff and lecturers and that the university would introduce Medicine and Medical Sciences from the next academic session.
While congratulating the matriculating students, the governor urged them to uphold discipline and represent their families well, promising a bursary award of ₦100,000 for each student.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, charged the new students to see their admission as the beginning of a life-changing journey. He said the university aims to produce graduates equipped with practical skills and creativity to become job creators.
Prof. Paiko commended the governor for his green economy drive, which, he said, has gained international recognition, adding that AKUM is aligning with the initiative to train students in sustainable agriculture, biotechnology, environmental sciences, ICT, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Muhammad Yahaya Kuta, described Governor Bago as a leader investing heavily in education and youth development, noting that knowledge remains the driving force of global progress.
