The Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF) has presented admission letters to 85 beneficiaries of its first batch of domestic postgraduate scholarship programme to study at Bayero University, Kano.

The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Barau Jibrin, founder of the foundation, presented the admission letters at a ceremony in Kano on Monday.

He said the initiative was aimed at providing Nigerian students, particularly those from Kano North Senatorial District, with opportunities to acquire advanced education in specialised fields.

The fields include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and other emerging technologies.

The senator said the beneficiaries were selected to undertake postgraduate studies in various specialised disciplines, including Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Climate Change, among others.

He said the foundation had previously sponsored students to study in India and other foreign countries but decided to expand the programme to include reputable universities within Nigeria.

According to Barau, the decision followed the discovery that some specialised courses offered abroad were also available in Nigerian universities, including BUK.

The deputy senate president commended the university management for embracing the initiative and providing the necessary support to ensure the successful admission of the beneficiaries.

Barau said investment in education and human capital development was a global priority that should not be left to government alone.

He said: “I will not stop this struggle until every child, every youth, in Kano becomes educated.”

The senator said the Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, had recorded significant progress within a short period.

He added that the provision of modern laboratory equipment and other facilities had positioned the university to introduce programmes such as Medicine and Engineering.

Barau pledged to facilitate the acquisition of additional equipment to enable the university to offer courses in Artificial Intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies.

The lawmaker said he was committed to making the institution one of the leading universities in Northern Nigeria.

He urged the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously, acquire relevant skills and explore opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurship rather than depending solely on government jobs after graduation.

Barau revealed that another batch of postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries would be sponsored in subsequent admission exercises.

The deputy senate president encouraged female students to take advantage of the scholarship opportunities and pursue postgraduate studies without hesitation.

Barau also donated computers to each of the beneficiaries.

Earlier, Prof. Tijjani Hassan-Darma, Dean, College of Postgraduate Studies, BUK, commended the senator for supporting postgraduate education and assisting parents in providing quality education for their children.

Hassan-Darma assured the foundation of the university’s continued cooperation, adding that the institution was committed to ensuring that the beneficiaries made effective use of the opportunity.

He said the university had identified some specialised programmes proposed by the beneficiaries that were not available at the time of the initial admission process.

He assured that the university would work towards accommodating such programmes in subsequent academic sessions.

On his part, the Special Adviser to Barau on Youth and Sports Development, Kabiru Ado-Lakwaya, described the initiative as another demonstration of the senator’s commitment to youth development.

Ado-Lakwaya urged the beneficiaries to justify the confidence reposed in them by the foundation through hard work and academic excellence.

He said the scholarship programme would contribute to producing skilled graduates capable of supporting technological advancement and economic development.