Senator Sunday Katung (PDP–Kaduna South) has awarded N40 million in scholarships to no fewer than 400 indigent students from his constituency.
The funds, disbursed through the Sunday Marshall Katung Foundation, provided each beneficiary with N100,000 to support their education in various tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the presentation of the award on Saturday in Kafanchan, Mr Katung, represented by Bature Likoro, chairman of the Southern Kaduna Community Development Associations, said the initiative was aimed at easing the financial burden of students and hardship.
He described education as the most powerful tool for social change and human capital development, pledging to sustain the scholarship programme beyond his tenure as a senator.
The chairperson of the foundation’s scholarship committee, Gloria Ballason, disclosed that 3,125 students applied for the scheme, with 400 selected after a rigorous and transparent screening process.
She said the beneficiaries were chosen based on their poor economic statuses and academic performances.
“It is our hope that this support will make the difference between staying in school and dropping out,” Ms Ballason said.
The committee’s secretary, Edward Auta, urged the government and philanthropists to invest more in education to promote equal learning opportunities while advising the beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly.
Delivering a lecture on “Mainstreaming STEM Education for National Development,” John La’ah emphasised that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remained key to innovation and sustainable development.
“In recent development, scientists have agreed that STEM is going to be the game changer, and it is important for us to know this,” he stated
Two of the beneficiaries, Zingina Precious and Omega Enoch, who spoke on behalf of the awardees, described the scholarship as a lifeline that came at a critical moment.
They expressed gratitude to Mr Katung and prayed for more grace for him to continue supporting students and other less-privileged constituents.
(NAN)
