By Suleman Ahmad
May 22, 2025 | Kano
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has fully settled the outstanding tuition and accommodation fees of 84 students stranded in Northern Cyprus, drawing a curtain on years of academic disruption, psychological trauma, and international embarrassment for the affected youths.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, who confirmed that the Kano State Government had cleared all debts owed to Near East University, where the students were enrolled.
The students were originally beneficiaries of a foreign scholarship scheme introduced under the administration of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, but were abandoned by the succeeding administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, which discontinued funding the programme.
The neglect left the students in dire conditions—locked out of classrooms, evicted from accommodation, and in some cases, facing legal threats from the university for unpaid fees. Their plight drew widespread condemnation from human rights advocates, diaspora networks, and education stakeholders who described the situation as a gross politicization of education and betrayal of trust.
According to the statement, Governor Yusuf’s administration has paid a total of ₦2.24 billion to secure the students’ academic certificates, some of which had been withheld for over five years.
“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 reads.
Among the beneficiaries are 28 medical doctors and several graduates in paramedical sciences, engineering, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, computer science, and biomedical sciences, who earned MBBS, BSc, and MSc degrees.
In a move to integrate the rescued scholars back into the system, Governor Yusuf has directed the automatic employment of all 84 graduates into the Kano State Civil Service.
This intervention marks a major policy shift under the Abba Kabir Yusuf administration, reaffirming his commitment to human capital development, educational justice, and restoration of public trust.
