Taraba final-year students celebrate as govt disburses education grants 

Final-year students from the Mumuye ethnic group in Taraba State, studying in various tertiary institutions across Nigeria, on Saturday, expressed joy as they received grants worth millions of naira aimed at supporting them in completing their education.

The initiative, which The Guardian learnt, seeks to ease the financial burden on students, was widely lauded as a step towards fostering educational advancement and empowerment within the Mumuye community.

Beneficiaries who spoke with The Guardian described the support as a life-changing opportunity, with many stressing that it would help them achieve their academic and career aspirations.

Speaking at the official flag-off of the event, which was tagged “Project Support/Assistance to Final Year Mumuye Students Across Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria,” the deputy governor, Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi Alkali, said the development underscores ongoing efforts by the state government to promote education and development among the diverse communities in the state.

The deputy governor, who further highlighted the importance of providing equal opportunities for all, said the Mumuye ethnic group has unanimously resolved to key into the five-finger agenda of the Governor Agbu Kefas administration.

Applauding the efforts of those behind the initiative, the state government, under the leadership of Governor Kefas, as made known by the deputy governor, will continue to make education one of its major priorities.

Citing the ongoing free and compulsory education policy of the incumbent state governor, he urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the grant by ensuring that they are not left behind in their project defense.

Also elated by the development, the national president of the Mumuye Cultural Development Association Youth Wing (MCDAYW), Ezekiel Augustine, said the Mumuye youths, spread across the state and in the diaspora, have collectively resolved to join forces with the present state government in order to catapult the state to greater heights.

Some of the beneficiary students who shared their thoughts with *The Guardian* said the grant will go a long way in assisting them to complete their projects and settle other outstanding costs.

They urged the state government to collaborate with the leadership of MCDAYW to extend the grant to Mumuye students studying in various parts of the world.

The final-year students, who are drawn from different tertiary institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, University of Maiduguri, Taraba State University, Federal University Wukari, Federal Polytechnic Bali, among others, were observed to number over 200.