By Usman Yahya Ismail
Borno State is set to produce a new generation of aviation and engineering professionals as Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved a N12.9 billion scholarship scheme for 54 indigenes to study specialised programmes at the Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management.
The beneficiaries will pursue professional degrees across core technical fields. Ten candidates will undertake Aerospace Engineering, while 11 each will specialise in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering. Another 12 are enrolled for Software Engineering, and 10 for Systems Engineering. The package also includes basic pilot training.
At a brief presentation ceremony in Maiduguri, the governor issued a cheque of N2.5 billion to the university, representing the first tranche for tuition and related costs. The full five-year commitment amounts to N12.9 billion.
Gov. Zulum told the students that the scholarship distribution was structured to ensure fairness across Borno’s 27 Local Government Areas, with two candidates chosen from each. He urged them to remain disciplined, noting that their performance in the programme will reflect on the state.
Beyond tuition support, each beneficiary will receive N500,000 to ease resumption and incidental expenses.
Providing insight into the selection process, the State Commissioner for Education, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, said over 3,000 applications were submitted. The ministry screened them down to 1,200, who wrote a competitive examination from which the final 54 emerged. He described the programmes as part of the administration’s broader investment in human capital and youth development.
Founder of the institution, Isaac Balami, praised the initiative and assured that the beneficiaries would receive training of international standard. He expressed optimism that the graduates would form part of the team capable of producing Nigeria’s first indigenous aircraft.
