The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation and member representing Bichi Federal Constituency, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, has welcomed 21 beneficiaries of his foreign scholarship programme who recently returned after successfully completing their Master’s degree programmes abroad.
The lawmaker also flagged off the second batch of the scholarship programme involving 38 students, who are set to travel abroad to pursue Master’s degree programmes.
The event was held on Monday, October 5, 2026, at the Hagagawa Mini Stadium, Bichi, Kano State, where the returning beneficiaries were formally welcomed and the new beneficiaries presented with awards ahead of their departure.
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The returning scholars pursued various science and technology-related programmes, including Cybersecurity, Software Engineering and Information Technology, as part of efforts to develop highly skilled manpower from the constituency.
Six of the returning beneficiaries have also secured employment with the Federal Government and are expected to commence work this week.
Speaking at the ceremony, Abubakar Kabir said the scholarship initiative was designed to address some of the challenges confronting the education sector while contributing to human capital development.
He recalled that the first batch of beneficiaries had gathered at the same venue about one and a half years ago before departing for Malaysia to pursue their Master’s degree programmes.
“Alhamdulillah, today we are here again to welcome you back after successfully completing your Master’s degree,” he said.
The lawmaker commended the returning beneficiaries for their dedication and academic commitment, saying their achievements demonstrated the importance of investing in human capital.
“I was impressed by your dedication. As we can see today, you have all become high flyers in your different fields after graduation,” Abubakar Kabir said.
He explained that the initiative was part of his efforts to bridge existing educational gaps and contribute to accelerating Nigeria’s development.
“This initiative is part of my efforts to address existing educational gaps and fast-track our country’s development. Globally, human capital is the number one asset, and it is against this backdrop that we have taken this step,” he said.
Addressing the 38 new beneficiaries, the lawmaker urged them to remain focused on their studies and conduct themselves as good ambassadors of Nigeria while abroad.
He charged them to pursue academic excellence, remain disciplined and make the country and their communities proud.
Abubakar Kabir assured the beneficiaries that necessary arrangements had been made to provide them with a conducive learning environment throughout their studies.
He said the scholarship programme was also intended to complement efforts by the Federal Government and Kano State Government to expand access to education, particularly for young people who may otherwise face difficulties in pursuing postgraduate studies abroad.
“In this regard, I feel that the best action is to support what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf are doing by providing access to education for less privileged youths,” he added.
The lawmaker’s position comes as the scholarship initiative enters another phase, with the successful return of the first batch providing an opportunity to extend the programme to additional beneficiaries.
Earlier, the Secretary of the Foreign Scholarship Committee, Dr. Ado Abdu Bichi, said the 38 new beneficiaries were selected strictly on merit following a comprehensive screening process.
He commended Abubakar Kabir for initiating and sustaining the programme, saying it would contribute significantly to producing more highly educated and skilled young people from Bichi Federal Constituency.
According to him, the merit-based selection process was designed to ensure that the opportunity reached qualified beneficiaries capable of maximising the benefits of the scholarship.
Also speaking at the event, the member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, commended Abubakar Kabir for his commitment to empowering young people through education.
Ado-Doguwa described the scholarship initiative as a significant investment in human capital and praised the Bichi lawmaker for extending his activities beyond the immediate constituency.
“I have spent almost over 30 years in the House of Representatives, and I have never seen a member like Abubakar Kabir Abubakar. His participation and commitment are not only in Bichi, Lagos or Enugu; they extend across Nigeria,” Ado-Doguwa said.
The ceremony attracted members of the National Assembly, community leaders, stakeholders, representatives of dignitaries, scholarship beneficiaries, their families and other invited guests.
The successful completion of the first batch and the commencement of the second batch mark another phase in the foreign scholarship initiative, with a total of 59 beneficiaries involved across the two batches highlighted at the ceremony.
The programme is expected to further expand the pool of young professionals from Bichi Federal Constituency with advanced qualifications in fields considered relevant to Nigeria’s technological and economic development.