Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved a ₦12.9 billion scholarship scheme to sponsor 54 youths from across the state to study aeronautics and various engineering disciplines at the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management in Lagos.
The initiative, unveiled at a Government House ceremony in Maiduguri, will fund a five-year training programme covering tuition, professional certifications, accommodation, health insurance and technical exposure, with an initial ₦2.5 billion upfront payment presented to the university to cover the first year’s costs.
Beneficiaries were selected through a competitive process that attracted more than 3,000 applicants and shortlisted 1,200 candidates before the final 54 were chosen, deliberately drawn from all 27 local government areas to ensure equitable representation.
Fields of study include aerospace engineering, mechatronics, software engineering, systems engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and selected participants will also receive basic pilot training; Zulum emphasised the need for discipline and excellence from the students, and each student was allocated a ₦5 million support package to assist with resumption logistics.
The scholarship is positioned by the state government as a long-term investment in human capital development and the aviation sector, with officials stressing transparency and merit as core principles of the selection process.
Source:Guardian.ng
