Nigerian Concord Newspaper
For many families in Benue State, gaining admission into a university, polytechnic or college of education is no longer the biggest challenge. Finding the money to keep the child in school is.
Imagine a brilliant young woman from a farming family in Gwer or Ohimini who secures admission to study nursing but whose parents must choose between paying her fees and meeting other basic needs of the family.
Think of the young man in Logo whose father has sold bags of yam and borrowed money repeatedly just to keep him at the university.
Think of a widow in Ado with two children in tertiary institutions, wondering where the next registration fees will come from.
These are the kinds of financial pressures confronting many families.
This is why the proposed ₦2 billion annual scholarship scheme announced by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, deserves to be understood beyond the headline figure.
According to Aondoakaa’s proposal, the ₦2 billion is not intended as a one-off intervention. It would be provided every year, beginning with an initial ₦2 billion seed fund, with additional resources to be sought from development partners, donor agencies, corporate organizations, philanthropic bodies and other partners.
That distinction is important.
If implemented as proposed, an annual programme would mean that educational assistance would not end with one set of beneficiaries. It would create a continuing funding cycle through which thousands of Benue students could receive support year after year.
And the potential reach becomes even clearer when the numbers are broken down.
For illustration, if the scholarship were structured at an average of ₦100,000 per beneficiary, a ₦2 billion annual fund could potentially support about 20,000 Benue students every year, before administrative costs.
Think about what that could mean: 20,000 students and, behind them, thousands of Benue families receiving some measure of relief from the increasingly heavy cost of tertiary education.
For a farmer struggling to raise registration fees after selling his produce, ₦100,000 could significantly reduce the burden. For a widow with children in higher institutions, it could mean one less major expense to worry about. For a low-income civil servant educating two or three children at the same time, it could provide breathing space for other necessities such as food, accommodation, healthcare and the education of younger siblings.
And because Aondoakaa’s proposal is for the ₦2 billion to be provided every year, rather than as a one-off intervention, the potential impact becomes even more significant. At an illustrative average of ₦100,000 per beneficiary, the scheme could potentially reach tens of thousands of students over the course of an administration, subject to its final design, repeat beneficiaries and administrative costs.
That is the bigger picture. The ₦2 billion is not merely a figure in a government budget. Properly implemented, it could represent thousands of young people receiving help to remain in school and thousands of parents carrying a lighter educational burden.
The actual number would, of course, depend on the final scholarship categories, award amounts, eligibility requirements and administrative expenses.
But even those simple illustrations demonstrate the potential scale of the proposal.
ONE SCHOLARSHIP CAN HELP AN ENTIRE FAMILY
The most important part of those figures may not even be the number of students.
Behind almost every student is a family carrying the financial burden of that education.
For thousands of parents, a scholarship of ₦100,000 would mean considerably less money to borrow, fewer farm produce or household assets to sell, and less pressure on already stretched family incomes.
For a farmer struggling with school fees after a difficult farming season, it could provide crucial relief.
For a widow educating several children, it could remove one of her biggest annual expenses.
For a low-income civil servant supporting children in different tertiary institutions, it could free up resources for food, rent, healthcare and the education of the other children.
Consider the wider effect: if 20,000 students receive support, thousands of households could feel the relief in the same year. If more than 20, 000 students benefit, the economic impact could spread across thousands more families and communities throughout Benue.
And because the proposal is for the ₦2 billion allocation to be made every year rather than once, its potential effect would accumulate.
That is what makes an annual scholarship programme potentially significant. It is not simply about paying school fees. It is about easing the financial pressure that education places on entire households.
When a struggling family no longer has to choose between a child’s tuition and essential household needs, the benefit reaches far beyond the campus. The student can remain in school, the pressure on the parents is reduced, younger siblings are less likely to have their own education sacrificed, and the family’s limited income can stretch further.
In that sense, every scholarship has the potential to become more than assistance to one student. It can become relief for a household, hope for a family and an investment in Benue’s next generation.
FROM ₦2 BILLION TO A BIGGER EDUCATION FUND
Another important feature of Aondoakaa’s proposal is the plan not to rely exclusively on state government funding.
The proposed ₦2 billion annual allocation would provide the foundation, while the administration would seek additional resources from international development organizations, philanthropic foundations, corporate institutions and other partners.
If such partnerships materialize, the size and reach of the programme could increase without requiring every additional naira to come directly from the state treasury.
This could potentially mean more beneficiaries, larger grants and the possibility of expanding support to students in particularly expensive or strategically important courses.
Aondoakaa has said that transparency and accountability would be central to attracting and sustaining such partnerships.
This would be critical.
BUILDING ON THE NELFUND EXPERIENCE
Aondoakaa has also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as an important intervention in expanding access to tertiary education.
His proposal is for Benue to develop its own complementary system, drawing lessons from NELFUND while adapting the programme to the particular circumstances of Benue students.
The envisioned scheme would not be limited to conventional scholarships alone. It is proposed to accommodate scholarships, grants and student loans, creating different forms of assistance for students with different financial needs.
That could be particularly important because the educational needs of Benue students are not identical.
Some may require scholarships. Others may need assistance with tuition or registration fees. Some could require loans that allow them to complete their education and repay later under agreed conditions.
A properly structured system could respond differently to each category.
POVERTY SHOULD NOT DECIDE WHO GETS EDUCATED
Perhaps the most compelling argument for such a programme is the simplest.
The size of a parent’s bank account should not determine the size of a child’s future.
A gifted child born into a poor farming household is no less intelligent because his father cannot afford university fees.
A brilliant girl raised by a widow has no less potential because her mother cannot afford the cost of higher education.
A young person from an IDP family should not have to abandon the dream of becoming a doctor, engineer, teacher, lawyer or scientist simply because circumstances beyond his or her control have made education unaffordable.
That is at the heart of Aondoakaa’s argument that education should not become the exclusive preserve of children from privileged backgrounds.
The opportunity to develop one’s talents should not depend entirely on the financial circumstances into which one was born.
Poverty should not be allowed to decide whose dream survives.
Every engineer, doctor, nurse, teacher, lawyer, agricultural scientist, ICT specialist, entrepreneur and skilled professional trained today becomes part of the productive capacity of Benue tomorrow.
— Mande is a Public Affairs Analyst