Tuesday February 11, 2025 | TheNewsDESK
As part of Governor Umo Eno’s unwavering support and encouragement to students in tertiary institutions, the Akwa Ibom State Government has commenced a new bursary scheme for the 2024/2025 academic year.
This was made known by Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT, during a press / stakeholders briefing on Monday at the State Ministry of Education Conference Room, Uyo.
Dr Ekpenyong announced that the initiative, aimed to provide financial assistance to students, is applicable to Akwa Ibom students in all non-private tertiary institutions, including those living with disabilities.
According to the SSA, the bursary for students which had been increased from N10,000 to N20,000 for regular students and N30,000 for students pursuing professional courses or specialized programmes, while the students with disabilities will still access their 250,000 naira for undergraduates and 300,000 for post graduate students.
Mr Ekpenyong added that to be eligible, students must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) that matches the name on their school ID as well as provide a recent fee payment receipt.
“People have already started applying, so feel free to tell the students to apply. There are two types of intervention bursary that they are going to apply.
“The first one is a regular bursary for every student in a non-private tertiary institution who are from Akwa Ibom State.
“So if you are from Akwa Ibom State in a tertiary institution that is not private, you are welcome to apply for this bursary.
“And recall that His Excellency during the Youth Application Grant increased the bursary from N10,000 to N20,000 for regular courses and N30,000 for what you would say is professional or specialized courses.
“Recall that the last time we did have issues whereby people had multiple accounts and we had to use artificial intelligence to try and detect which account is which. This time around, nothing like that anymore.
“We will now need your NIN. So your name, your national identification number must be valid. It must match the name on your student record. So that way, every person on the system would have one account.
“Now, the second type of application you can do here is for students living with disabilities. Now, for the students with disabilities, you can come on here and apply.”
Additionally, for easy registration process, eligible students are to register online through the website bursary.akwaibomstate.gov.ng or contact the ARISE support line at 02012291111 for more information or assistance.
Ekpenyong appealed to the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS) body to urge students to apply for the bursary scheme, emphasizing that it is only available to students in non-private universities and other tertiary institutions within Nigeria.
He however added that grants are available to all students living with disabilities, regardless of institution.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Stella Etukakpan, expressed appreciation to the Governor for his unwavering commitment to the education sector and his passion for promoting academic excellence through the ARISE Agenda. She described the bursary initiative as laudable, emphasizing that it will significantly impact students and contribute to the State’s overall development.
She encouraged students to participate actively in the registration process by ensuring they provide all necessary documents for seamless processing.
In their separate responses, the SSA on Research in Documentation, Dr Essien Ndueso and the Personal Assistant to the Governor on Student Matter, Comrade Wilson Emmanuel encouraged students to appreciate the Governor for all he has done for them.
The meeting was also attended Special Assistant to the Governor on Multimedia Services, Engr. Solomon Eyo; Directors from the Ministry of Education; and Executive members of the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAKISS) and other category of student leaders.
