Calabar- The Commissioner for Education in Cross River, Prof. Offiong Offiong, on Sunday, said the state government spent over N2.47 billion on payment of scholarship in the last six years.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that the state government had increased the number of scholarship awards and other financial assistance to students in the state during the period under review.
He said that the present administration in Cross River decided to do this to enable students to pursue their careers without hindrance.
The commissioner said the scholarship awards were given to undergraduate and post-graduate students in tertiary institutions within and outside the country.
He explained that “from 2008 till date, a total of 303 students have benefited from the overseas financial assistance; 166 from full oversea scholarship awards and 5,412 from full local scholarship awards.
“The Cross River Government spent a total of N2,475,168,096 on scholarship in the last six years.’’
Offiong said physically-challenged persons also benefitted from the scheme and students were encouraged to study Medicine, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Engineering to stand the chance of benefitting from the scheme.
“With more scholarships awarded for studies in these critical sectors, Cross River now depends less on other states for manpower in key sectors of the state’s economy,” he said.(NAN)
