Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Scholarship Board has refunded N86 million unclaimed bursary funds to the state government following the introduction of improved digital verification and accountability measures by the state government.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Aminu Salisu Tsauri, disclosed this on Monday during the flag-off of bursary payments for the 2025/2026 academic session by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the state-owned Institute of Technology and Management.
He said the recovery of the unclaimed funds was made possible through improved digital verification processes aimed at ensuring that public funds reach only eligible beneficiaries.
He added that the state scholarship board had screened 14,925 new applicants for bursary payments, with disbursement expected before the end of 2026.
He said: “The Katsina State Scholarship Board has returned N86 million unclaimed funds to the state government’s coffers through improved digital verification. 14,925 new applicants have been screened for payment before the end of 2026.”
Flagging off the exercise, Governor Radda said his administration has increased bursary allowances by 100 per cent and commenced the disbursement of N689.79 million to 19,318 verified students across 97 institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
He explained that the review ends 18 years of stagnant bursary rates since 2007 and will ease the financial burden on students and parents across the state.
He announced a 150 per cent increase for Veterinary Medicine students in 300 and 400 levels, 200 per cent for those in 500 and 600 levels, and N500,000 each for 56 Katsina indigenes at the Nigerian Law School, totaling N28 million.
On foreign scholarships, Radda said the state is sponsoring 118 students — 41 studying Medicine in Egypt, 10 in Ethiopia, 33 studying Artificial Intelligence and 34 Bioengineering in China — with an upkeep commitment exceeding N1.7 billion, plus tuition, accommodation and health insurance.
He said total bursary payments and student awards by his administration now exceed N3.29 billion, from over N2.6 billion previously disbursed.
Radda also unveiled a new local scholarship scheme for 1,700 students – 50 best performing NECO and WAEC students from each of the 34 LGAs – to study Nursing, Engineering, ICT, Agriculture and Education in state-owned institutions.
He charged the Scholarship Board to sustain transparency, verification and accountability in managing public funds.