The Nasarawa State Government says all is set to commence the disbursement of over N218 million to 8,000 indigenous students studying in various tertiary institutions within and outside the state.

Mrs Sa’adatu Yahya, Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, disclosed this at a news conference on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital.

She explained that the disbursement would be done in two phases, beginning from Thursday to Nov. 4, at various centres across the state.

The executive secretary said Gov. Abdullahi Sule of the state had already given approval and released over N100 million for the first phase of the payment.

“Immediately after the conclusion of the first phase on Nov. 4 and subsequent submission of report to the governor, the second phase will begin.

“I am happy to inform the students that the governor has reviewed the bursary allowances upwards due to the current economic challenges.

“Law students would now be paid N300, 000 each, as against N100,000 while other undergraduates from N10,000 to N20,000.

“People living with disability who are students would get N30,000 as against the N20,000 they were given before,” she added.

The executive secretary said the increment for other categories of undergraduates was captured in the current payment scheduled to commence on Thursday except for students in Law schools.

She explained that the law students would benefit from the subsequent payment, because their approval came after the fund for this exercise was released.

Mrs Yahya added that the board was going to distribute verve cards to the shortlisted candidates, after a screening, to enable them to access their money in the bank.

She said that the government had introduced the verve cards technology in the payment of bursary to ensure accountability and transparency in the process.

The Executive Secretary added that the government had previously completed the payment of the bursary for 2016 to 2020, and that the current one was for 2021/2022.

She added that the exercise would be done in the three Senatorial Zones of the state and urged the beneficiaries to come along with originals and photocopies of their credentials.

She said the screening, beginning from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, would commence from Nasarawa North Senatorial Zone from Oct. 20-24, Nasarawa West Oct. 25-27, while Nasarawa South would hold on Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 .

The executive secretary therefore advised the students to conduct themselves well while the exercise lasted to ensure smooth disbursement.

She also said that government was currently sponsoring some of its indigenes in different courses in Philippines, India, Cyprus and Turkey.

(NAN).