By Josephine Ali
Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Honourable Wemi Jones, has stated that the State Government under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, seeks to surpass the number of students awarded the State Bursary last year.
Hon. Jones disclosed this during a Press Conference to flag off Season 2 of the Kogi State Students Bursary Allowance at the State Ministry of Education, Lokoja.
The Commissioner, noted that the State Government has provided the necessary funds for the bursary and urged all students of Kogi State origin to participate in the programme.
He called on the leadership of the Nigeria Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), to ensure proper and adequate sensitisation in order to carry all the students along.
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Earlier, the Chairman of the Kogi Scholarship Board, Mr. Raji Afolabi, stated that Governor Ododo is highly committed to the welfare of Kogi Students which necessitated the revitalisation of the bursary scheme on assumption of office.
Mr. Afolabi disclosed that in the first season of the disbursement of the scholarship funds to students of Kogi State origin, the sum of N316,770,000.00 was disbursed, with undergraduate students getting N30,000.00 each and students in Nigeria Law School having access to the sum of N300,000.00. A total of 8,750 students benefited from the first season.
The Chairman further stated that the portal which has been unveiled this year, is to allow seamless registration by all the students.
He urged them to follow all the processes involved diligently as only those who get the documentation right will access the funds.
Mr. Afolabi noted that out of the 44,265 students that applied last year, only 8.750 students were able to access the scholarship as they had the proper documentation and urged the NAKOSS executive members to carry out thorough and proper sensitisation so that more students can benefit in this season.
While stating that the online application it seamless, he added that application opens 29th September and closes on 31st October, 2025 on https://scholarshipboard.kogistate.gov.ng.
In his response, the President of National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Comrade Sunday Simon, appreciated the State Governor for his passion fior the welfare of sudents of the State origin, noting that the support has helped to better the lot of students.
He equally appreciated the Commissioner for Education as well as the Chairman of the Board for their efforts in ensuring that the bursary scheme is a success.
Comrade Sunday, said they will do everything possible to ensure that more students of Kogi State access the bursary this year.
Some students who benefited last year, were present to give their testimonies. They are Ibrahim Maikeke Audu, a 200-level student of Banking and Finance at Federal University, Lokoja, and Mohammed Abdulaziz, an Arts and Design student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. Mohammed is the personal artiste of Governor Ododo as he made a portrait of him with the materials he bought from the bursary funds.
Highpoint of the occasion was the distribution of sensitisation materials for use across the senatorial districts as well as the e-flier for online use.
Present at the occasion were the Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, Professor Kehinde Eniola; the Project Coordinator, Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Alhaji Tijani Oricha; the Chairperson, Senior Secondary School Board, as well as other senior Directors of the Ministry of Education.
