Govt Refusal to Honor N90 Million Pledge, Health Students to Miss the 2025 Health examination in Niger.
Approximately 2,550 students from the state-owned School of Health Technology will be removed from the National Health Examination Council for 2025 due to the non-payment of examination fees.
This announcement was made by Comrade Mohammed Isha Bashi the President of the National Association of Niger State Students (NANNIS) during a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, in his office.
According to the president, the examination is crucial for qualifying in health practice; however, students, especially those from low-income families, will miss it due to a N90 million pledge made by Governor Muhammad Umar Bago to settle the examination fees for the students.
He noted that they have gathered that the Farmer Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago have approved the payment of the money,yet it has not been released, to the board by the Ministry of Finance for distribution to the students,hence, preventing them from taking their final National council examinations.
He urgently appealed to Governor Umaru Bago to facilitate the release of the pledged amount to enable Niger students in health institutions across the state to sit for their final examinations.
Additionally, he appeal to the Governor Umar Bago to also approve the release of funds for 2025 first batch scholarships payment for students in tertiary institutions and various higher education establishments.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Usman Mohammed Sani in nis response mentioned that about 27,000 students have so far been verified during the physical verification exercise and are qualified for payment.
He stressed that students yet to be captured in the physical verification process should remain patient, as the board is doing everything within its power to get across to them for the exercise in their respective institutions.
He urged them to exercise more patience regarding the payment of bursary and scholarship allowances, adding that payments will commence as soon as the government makes funds available.