By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
Government House, Lokoja
September 24, 2026
The Kogi State Government has commenced the disbursement of ₦646.8 million in bursary allowances to 20,347 students, with medical students set to receive a higher payment of ₦75,000 each.
The second season of the Kogi State Students’ Bursary Scheme was formally flagged off on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who was represented at the ceremony by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, said the intervention was part of his administration’s efforts to reduce the financial pressure facing students and their families.
Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries will receive ₦30,000, while students studying medicine will receive ₦75,000 in recognition of the additional financial demands associated with medical education.
The latest disbursement follows the state government’s earlier approval of bursary payments for Kogi students studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Ododo: Education Remains a Major Priority
Speaking through the Education Commissioner, Governor Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening education and ensuring that financial difficulties do not unnecessarily disrupt the studies of Kogi indigenes.
He also commended the students and their representatives for maintaining what he described as constructive engagement with government.
Ododo urged student leaders to continue to pursue dialogue and cooperation, assuring them that his administration remained open to engagement with young people.
The Governor said his office would remain accessible to citizens and encouraged students to sustain communication with government rather than resort to confrontation when seeking solutions to their concerns.
He further stated that the government would not reduce its investment in education, describing the sector as a major component of the state’s development agenda.
The latest intervention comes amid other developments in Kogi’s education sector, including the recent inauguration of the Barefoot Renewable Energy College, Osara, and a Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant. recent report on Africa’s first renewable energy college in Kogi
Government Acknowledges Yahaya Bello’s Tertiary Education Expansion
Governor Ododo also acknowledged the contribution of the immediate past administration of former Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello to the development of tertiary education in Kogi State.
He recalled that several universities and other tertiary institutions were established or expanded during the previous administration, helping to increase access to higher education within the state.
According to Ododo, Kogi’s expanding tertiary education landscape now includes universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, a College of Nursing and other specialised institutions.
He said the availability of programmes such as medicine, law and nursing within the state had also reduced the need for students to travel outside Kogi to pursue some professional courses.
The issue of funding and development of tertiary institutions has remained a subject of discussion among education stakeholders in the state. At a recent TETFund North Central stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja, participants called for stronger funding, accountability and collaboration to improve tertiary education. TETFund stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja
₦403m First Batch Covers About 13,000 Students
The Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Afolabi Joseph Raji, disclosed that the total ₦646.8 million approved for the scheme covers 20,347 beneficiaries for the 2025/2026 academic session.
He explained that the first batch, valued at approximately ₦403 million, was presented during Thursday’s ceremony and covers about 13,000 students studying in tertiary institutions within Kogi State.
More than 7,000 additional beneficiaries studying outside the state will be covered under the second batch.
Joseph-Raji said medical students would begin receiving their payment alerts immediately, followed by other beneficiaries.
He assured students that all 20,347 beneficiaries were expected to receive their payments before the end of the week, subject to the completion of the disbursement process.
Bursary Beneficiaries More Than Double
The Scholarship Board chairman described the latest expansion as a significant increase in the reach of the state’s student-support programme.
He recalled that only about 8,000 students benefited during the first season of the bursary scheme.
The number has now risen to more than 20,000 beneficiaries, representing a substantial expansion in the number of students covered by the programme.
The development comes shortly after the government announced that approval had been secured for the bursary payment, with students awaiting details of the eventual disbursement. Ododo Government Approves Kogi Students’ Bursary
NAKOSS Commends Students for Choosing Dialogue
The outgoing National President of the National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Comrade Sunday Adeola Simon, thanked Governor Ododo for approving the commencement of the bursary disbursement.
Simon said the application process began in September 2025 but experienced delays before reaching the payment stage.
He said student representatives nevertheless chose dialogue, patience and constructive engagement throughout the process.
According to him, the student leadership resisted calls for disruptive action and maintained confidence that the government would eventually address their concerns.
Simon described the bursary as more than financial assistance, saying it also demonstrated that the welfare and educational needs of Kogi students remained on the government’s agenda.
Students Outside Kogi, Law School Beneficiaries Seek Inclusion
The outgoing NAKOSS president appealed to Governor Ododo to extend similar consideration to Kogi students studying outside the state.
He specifically called for Kogi indigenes enrolled at the Nigerian Law School to be considered so that no category of students would feel excluded from government support.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of broader efforts to improve educational opportunities and skills development for young people in Kogi.
The state has recently featured in initiatives ranging from tertiary education interventions to technology training. A Kogi Youth-in-Tech programme, for example, recently graduated 40 participants from an intensive digital skills programme. Kogi Youth-in-Tech Programme and Digital Skills Initiative
Kogi has also been implementing education projects under the World Bank-supported AGILE programme, with stakeholders recently raising questions about the distribution of secondary school projects across the state. AGILE and World Bank School Projects in Kogi
20,347 Students Set to Receive Payments
The flag-off ceremony brought together government officials, education stakeholders, student leaders and representatives of the Kogi student community.
The formal presentation of the cheque for the first batch marked the beginning of the latest phase of the bursary programme.
With 20,347 students listed as beneficiaries for the 2025/2026 academic session, the government says the disbursement is expected to be completed before the end of the week.
The intervention expands the number of students covered by the state bursary scheme while giving medical students a higher allowance of ₦75,000.
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