The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the disbursement of N300 million as scholarship to 16,225 indigenous and indigent students of the FCT.
The scholarship is for the 2023/2024 award for indigent students in public schools.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, said during the disbursement in Abuja on Thursday, that the amount was just “scratching the surface”, considering the huge number of indigent FCT students in public schools.
Wike, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Chide Amadi, noted that education was the bedrock of any development.
The minister promised that the FCTA would sustain the scholarship scheme to provide educational services to the needy in the territory.
He also pledged that the welfare of teachers would be given due attention, including their professional development.
Anedi said that Wike had given approval for FCT public schools to participate in global science events and competition.
He identified the events as the World Robotic Festival in Houston, Texas, and the Continental Open Africa AI Championship in Cape Town, South Africa.
“These achievements are testament of the dedication, hard work, and talent of the students, made possible by the improved teaching and learning conditions in FCT public schools.
“In addition, Wike also approved training and retraining of teachers at all levels, including the provision of vocational skills training for students, youths, women, and out-of-school children in FCT,” he said.
Also, the Mandate Secretary, Education Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Danlami Hayyo, commended Wike for his commitment to improving access to quality education in the territory.
Hayyo said that the Wike-led FCTA had so far invested more than N230 billion on the provision of education facilities, renovation and construction of new schools.
The Director, FCT Scholarship Board, Mrs Hannah David, said that the board had so far provided scholarships to 146,000 FCT indigenous and indigent students since its inception in 2020.
According to her, the scholarship covers basic, post-basic, special need centres, Nigerian Law School, and foreign tertiary institutions.
“The scholarship cuts across all categories of students, including students with special needs, who are given wheelchairs and other learning materials.”
David, who commended Wike for the support, appealed to other stakeholders to help the board to achieve its mandate, noting that the government alone could not do it.