UNIMAID Hits Major Win As Gov. Zulum Approves Phd Scholarships For 220 Lecturers, Celebrates Return Of Foreign Scholars

The University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, has emerged as a primary beneficiary of the Borno State Government’s massive educational intervention, as Governor Babagana Umara Zulum officially approved postgraduate PhD scholarships for two hundred and twenty lecturers of the institution.

The monumental announcement was made during a grand homecoming reception organized for Borno State foreign scholarship beneficiaries at the Government House in Maiduguri. The high-profile event, tagged "Human Capital Development: A Homecoming Of Borno State Foreign Scholarship Beneficiaries," celebrated the state's staggering ₦7.99 billion investment in global education and human capital development.

Recognizing the importance of the event to the University's capacity-building goals, the UNIMAID management attended the ceremony in full force. The high-powered delegation was led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, accompanied by the Registrar, Ahmed Alhaji Lawan, and the University Bursar, Mal. Ibrahim Umar.

Fulfilling a promise he made during the University's last convocation ceremony, Governor Zulum directed the immediate opening of the scholarship portal for the 220 lecturers. He emphasized that building the academic capacity of university educators is non-negotiable. 

Beneficiaries of this massive intervention will be fully sponsored to pursue their doctoral degrees in top-tier universities both abroad and within Nigeria, ensuring that the institution remains fully equipped with world-class faculty to train the next generation.

The ceremony also celebrated the strategic return and ongoing training of indigenous scholars sent to top global destinations. Among the cohort are 130 scholars who successfully earned Master's degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines from premier institutions in India and Malaysia, supported by over ₦3.2 billion in funding. 

Additionally, 104 scholars were sent to the People's Republic of China – comprising 53 studying Medicine and 51 pursuing specialized Engineering across six top universities – while 19 undergraduate medical students continue their clinical training at Suez University in Egypt. 

With another 95 scholars on track to graduate next year from various foreign institutions, many of these returning high-achievers are already being absorbed into the academic workforce of UNIMAID to bolster its teaching and research output.

In a brilliant display of the global exposure they received, returning scholars thrilled the audience by delivering vote-of-thanks speeches in fluent foreign languages. A representative of the medical and engineering graduates from China expressed profound gratitude to the Governor in fluent Mandarin, while a medical scholar returning from Suez University delivered a moving appreciation speech in Egyptian Arabic.

The ceremony featured a special presentation by the National Union of Borno State Students, who honored Governor Zulum with an Award of Excellence for his unprecedented financial commitment to students' welfare locally and internationally. 

Responding to the accolades with his characteristic humility, Governor Zulum dedicated the successes to the people of the state, stating simply that he was only doing his constitutional duty as a leader entrusted with their future.

Alongside the UNIMAID delegation, the historic occasion was graced by a host of prominent leaders, including the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, and the Vice-Chancellor of Borno State University, Professor Babagana Gutti. They were joined by Permanent Secretaries, Chairmen, and Chief Executives of various federal and state boards and parastatals.