Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni has said that the 167 foreign-trained graduates sponsored by his administration would bolster the state’s health and other critical sectors.
This is contained in a statement by Buni’s Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed in Damaturu on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government in 2020 sponsored 233 students tagged: “Yobe scholars,” to study specialised courses in India.
The statement said the governor, who was represented by Buba Mashio, Speaker, Yobe House of Assembly, stated this when attended the graduation ceremony of the students in five Indian universities.
The graduates received training in medical laboratory science, pharmacy, radiology, physiotherapy, optometry, computer science and engineering, among others.
“A total of 63 students were sponsored to GD Goenka University, 58 have graduated, while the five others are still pursuing their studies, and out of the 84 students sponsored to Integral University, 73 have graduated with 11 others still in the university.
“The state government also sponsored 22 students at Kalinga University and have all graduated, while one student at PP Savani University has also graduated with 24 others who were later admitted to the University pursuing their studies.
“There are currently 10 state students at DIT University, 13 at VGU University, and 13 others at Glocal University still pursuing their studies,” Mohammed said.
The governor’s aide said the number of optometrists trained and sponsored by the state in the last four years was more than those trained since the creation of the state by over 400 per cent.
“The same goes for pharmacists: those trained in the last four years is 400 per cent more than those trained since the creation of the state in 1991″.
The statement quoted Buni as congratulating the graduates for passing their examinations with flying colours and charged them to be committed to duties where ever they found themselves.
It said further said the Nigerian High Commission in India lauded Yobe’s scholarship programme.