GOVERNOR Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has paid the outstanding tuition and accommodation fees for 84 Kano students who had been stranded in Northern Cyprus for years.
The intervention ends the prolonged agony of students who had been left in academic and financial limbo after the previous administration suspended funding for their overseas scholarship programme.
A statement signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor, confirmed that the state paid a total of ₦2.24 billion to the Near East University in Cyprus, clearing all debts owed and unlocking certificates for the affected students.
“A total of two billion, two hundred and forty million naira has been paid to secure the certificates of the students who have waited for over five years,” the statement read.
The students were originally part of a foreign scholarship scheme introduced by former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, but funding was halted during the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The discontinuation left students without support, many of whom were locked out of classrooms, evicted from hostels, and left destitute in a foreign country.
“The trauma these students faced was unbearable. Some of them were harassed, ridiculed, and nearly deported. This intervention is not just financial—it is moral and humanitarian,” said Kabiru Ibrahim, father of one of the affected students.
Among the beneficiaries are 28 medical students, as well as graduates in nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, computer science, and biomedical sciences—most of whom had completed their studies but could not access their certificates due to unpaid fees.
The Governor has gone a step further by ordering the automatic employment of all returning students into the Kano State civil service.
“These young professionals are an asset to our state. We will not only welcome them home but also give them opportunities to contribute to our development,” said Governor Yusuf in a statement.
The move has sparked celebrations across the state, with many parents openly shedding tears of joy at what they described as the “end of a nightmare.”
“This is the happiest day of my life. I can finally hold my son’s certificate and see him begin his career,” said Fatima Suleiman, mother of one of the medical graduates.
Human rights groups and members of the Nigerian diaspora who had previously condemned the neglect of the students have praised the administration’s bold step.
“This is a clear example of leadership with empathy. These are lives restored, careers revived, and reputations redeemed,” said Musa Lawan, coordinator of a Nigerian student welfare group in Europe.