The Jigawa State government has confirmed it allocated N4 billion to relocate 195 students from war-torn Sudan to India and Cyprus, where they are now successfully graduating in various medical fields. Saidu Magaji, the Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Scholarship Board, shared this information on Tuesday while welcoming six of the ten students studying in India who returned home.
Magaji revealed that six out of ten students relocated to India due to the civil unrest in Sudan have graduated, with four achieving first-class honors in Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He emphasized the government’s proactive measures during the Sudanese conflict, which led to the safe evacuation of the students.
“When the war raged in Sudan, the Jigawa government acted swiftly to evacuate 195 students,” Magaji stated. He detailed that upon their arrival in Abuja, the students were not transported by bus to Jigawa to spare them further trauma; instead, a chartered aircraft was arranged to fly them directly to Jigawa Airport, where they were also given transport fares to return to their homes.
He highlighted that under the Umar Namadi administration’s 12-point Human Agenda, the Scholarship Board secured admissions for the students. A total of 185 students were admitted to Near East University in Cyprus, each receiving N4.5 million to cover residence permits, health insurance, and living allowances.
Among the ten students sent to Integral University in India, four remain, studying Doctor of Pharmacy Sciences and Civil Engineering. The six graduates include four female students with first-class degrees in Nursing and two male students who earned degrees in Industrial Chemistry.
Aisha Muhammad, one of the graduates, expressed her joy, stating, “After the trauma of Sudan, we have now completed our studies successfully, and we are ready to serve my state like never before.” Abdullahi Isa, another graduate, praised the accommodating environment in India, saying their studies proceeded smoothly without incidents of hostility.
He reflected on the difficulties they faced while crossing the borders of Sudan, expressing gratitude for the timely intervention of the Jigawa State government, which allowed them to continue their education and ultimately achieve graduation with notable successes.
