Kogi Begins N646.8m Bursary Payment to 20,347 Students

The Kogi State Government has commenced the disbursement of N646.8 million in bursary allowances to 20,347 verified students enrolled in tertiary institutions across Nigeria under the second phase of the Governor Usman Ododo Students Support Programme.

The programme, tagged “Gov. Ododo Students Support Season 2,” was launched on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Afolabi Joseph-Raji, said the administration had revived the state’s bursary scheme, which was last paid in 2019 and reinstated in 2024.

According to him, the bursary allowance was increased by 150 per cent, from N12,000 to N30,000 per student, while medical students who previously received N18,000 will now receive N75,000 each.

Joseph-Raji also said the government had abolished the former N650 scratch-card fee previously required to access the bursary application portal. He said applications are now free, paperless, online and designed to ensure transparency.

He disclosed that during the 2024/2025 academic session, the board paid N256.4 million to 8,549 undergraduates at N30,000 each, while N60.3 million was paid to Law School students at N300,000 each. Other scholarships worth N261 million were also provided.

For the 2025/2026 session, 20,347 students have been screened and verified for the bursary programme. Undergraduates will receive N30,000 each, while eligible medical students will receive N75,000, bringing the total allocation to N646.8 million.

The first tranche of N403 million will cover 13,157 students studying in tertiary institutions within Kogi State. Students studying outside the state, including those in more than 300 institutions such as the University of Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos and Bayero University Kano, will be paid in the second tranche.

The Scholarship Board also introduced new initiatives, including the Governor Ododo Campus Quiz Challenge and a weekly Radio Quiz Challenge on Confluence 94.1 FM, where students can win up to N5,000.

The Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, who represented the governor, commended Kogi students for remaining peaceful during delays in the bursary process.

He said the increase in beneficiaries from about 8,000 in the first season to more than 20,000 in the second season represented an increase of over 130 per cent.

Jones also highlighted other government interventions in education, including payment of Common Entrance, Basic Six, BECE and WAEC fees for students in public schools, NABTEB fees for technical college students and free CBT training for SS3 students.

The outgoing President of the National Association of Kogi State Students, Sunday Adeola Simon, thanked the state government for the intervention and appealed for students studying outside Kogi State and those attending the Nigeria Law School to be included in the payments.

He said student leaders had chosen dialogue and peaceful engagement despite the delays associated with the application and disbursement process.