Mutfwang sponsors 200 Plateau students to India under legacy scholarship scheme

Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau state governor has sponsored 200 students to India under the newly launched Mutfwang Legacy Scholarship Scheme, marking one of the largest foreign education interventions in the state’s history.

The beneficiaries, who will study Medical Sciences, Engineering and Information and Communication Technology, were formally sent off on Tuesday at a ceremony held in Jos, ahead of their admission into Sanskaram University in India.

Governor Mutfwang described the initiative as a strategic investment in human capital development, stressing that the selection process was transparent and insulated from political influence.

Read also: PDP raises red flag over APC’s claim of Mutfwang’s defection

“This process was not manipulated or influenced in any way. Everyone selected is here because of hard work and excellence,” the governor said, adding that Sanskaram University independently supervised the screening exercise.

He emphasised that the beneficiaries emerged strictly on merit, without political, institutional or quota considerations, insisting that excellence was the sole criterion.

“We did not allocate slots to politicians, local governments, or institutions. Plateau has some of the brightest minds in this country, and we insisted on a purely merit based process,” Mutfwang stated.

The governor urged the students to conduct themselves with discipline and integrity, reminding them that they were ambassadors of Plateau State.

“What God is giving you through us are wings to fly. Devote yourselves to excellence, because the future of Plateau State and Nigeria will depend on you,” he told the departing scholars.

Mutfwang also disclosed that his administration had introduced fresh education-sector reforms in the 2026 budget, including a special research fund for Plateau indigenes in tertiary institutions, expansion of postgraduate programmes at Plateau State University, and increased support for Master’s and PhD research.

Earlier, Kachollom Pyam Gang, Plateau state commissioner for education described the scholarship scheme as a historic milestone, noting that no previous administration had sponsored as many as 200 students abroad at once, a view echoed by Nankus Adams Ngwalang, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Scholarship Board.

Speaking on behalf of parents, Fabong Adanchin praised the governor’s commitment to merit-based governance, saying, “I did not support you in the last election, but good leadership won me over. My son is going to India purely on merit.”

Traditional and religious leaders at the event urged the students to return with skills that would drive Plateau State’s development and unity.

Nathaniel E. Gbaoron is the Plateau State correspondent for BusinessDay and a seasoned journalist with a decade of experience covering sub-national affairs across Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, and other states.

He holds both National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from Fidel Polytechnic, Gboko. Over the years, he has participated in numerous media trainings and workshops spanning various areas of reporting, strengthening his expertise in economic and political reporting, community-level governance, development stories, and conflict-sensitive journalism. He is a member of Correspondent Chapel in Plateau state, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he is also a Rotarian and a member of Plateau Club 1921.

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