Kano State Governor and former Senator for Kano Central, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has sponsored the education of 830 students who completed their NCE (Nigeria Certificate in Education) at the Community College of Education in Kano.
The graduation certificates were presented to the students on Saturday during a convocation ceremony held at the SAS Assembly Hall, Kano.
Shekarau's spokesperson, Professor Sule Ya'u Sule, explained that the scholarship program was initiated in 2022, when Shekarau was representing Kano Central in the Senate.
He stated that the program was designed to provide teaching education opportunities to youths from the 15 local government areas of the Kano Central senatorial district, with 50 students allocated from each local government, totaling 750 students.
Professor Sule added that Shekarau also supported an additional 100 students from the Community College of Education who were unable to pay their school fees, bringing the total number of beneficiaries of the program to 850.
Out of the 850 students, 830 completed their studies and received their NCE certificates, while 15 had carry-over courses, and five discontinued their studies.
According to Sule, Shekarau expressed his delight at the success of the program and reaffirmed his commitment to continuing to support youths in accessing quality education.
He also noted that the students' graduation coincided with the period when the Kano State Government is planning to recruit new teachers, expressing hope that the graduates would be able to benefit from the employment opportunities.
On his part, the Deputy Governor of Kano, Murtala Sule Garo, commended Shekarau for the contributions he is making toward developing education and enhancing human capital.
According to Professor Sule, the deputy governor also promised to discuss with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf the possibility of providing employment slots for some of the new NCE graduates.
The ceremony was attended by prominent guests, including the House of Representatives member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the Chief Imam of Kano, Professor Muhammad Sani Zahradeen, and other political, religious, and community leaders.