Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has been strongly criticised following his disclosure that his administration spent N2.5 billion to settle tuition arrears for 84 state-sponsored students studying in Cyprus.
The governor made the announcement via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, stating that the funds were used to pay outstanding fees owed to Near East University by Kano State students.
“I can confirm the payment of N2.5 billion to clear the outstanding fees owed by 84 students from Kano State to Near East University in Cyprus. This was the result of our efforts to secure their future and ensure society benefits from their education,” he wrote.
The statement has since drawn widespread reactions online, with many users questioning the justification for such a large expenditure on a relatively small number of students.
X user Adamu Muktar wrote: “Whaaaat. N2.5 billion spent on only 84 students’ education abroad? @grok do the math for each student, also tell us how that amount could improve education in Kano State based on the Naira rates in the exchange market. Also tell us how many students could that impact.”
Another user, Deeni, commented: “2.5 billion is huge amount of money, it’s not justifiable to spend such outrageous amount of money on only 84 people, hence I am not impressed your excellency @Kyusufabba.”
Bashir Suleiman added a more critical take: “Lol I don’t know how you guys defend this but this is not and will never be a good idea saidai aki gaskia😂.”
While some supported the governor’s gesture, they also questioned the prudence of the amount spent. “This is a welcome development,” said Imran Konto, “but investing N2.5 billion in institutions like BUK or state polytechnics would have had a far greater impact on our education system.”
Another commenter, Mus’ab D, echoed similar sentiments: “That’s nearly N30 million per student. Why not invest that in local institutions and benefit more people?”
Governor Yusuf’s administration has yet to respond directly to the criticisms.
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