The Bauchi State Government has paid N139 million in outstanding tuition to Igbinedion University, Okada, ending a year-long delay that left 84 state-sponsored graduates without their degree certificates.
The certificates were formally presented on Wednesday at the old banquet hall of the government house, Bauchi.
Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by his deputy, Mohammed Auwal Jatau, said the debt dated back to 2018 under the state’s Special Intervention Scholarship Programme”
“We acknowledge that certificates are legal instruments of qualification; they worked exceptionally hard to achieve,” Jatau told the graduates.
The deputy governor, who said, “Education is the key with which we unlock the world,” urged the beneficiaries to let their training be reflected in their conduct.
He described the certificates as “special key” to opportunity and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to education as a tool for development.
Earlier on, the commissioner for higher education, Dr Hadiza Abdulkadir Kango, said the 84 graduates, including doctors, pharmacists and engineers, had waited up to five years because of the unpaid balance.
“Some years ago, this state made a promise. Indigenes were sponsored to study critical disciplines. They studied, they graduated, but their certificates were withheld through no fault of their own,” Kango said.
She explained that while past administrations made partial payments, the matter was only fully resolved after Governor Mohammed approved the full settlement of the debt.
A ministry delegation then travelled to the university to clear the balance. The first 16 certificates were released Aug. 16, 2025, followed by 21 on Dec. 8, 2025, and 44 on Jan. 16, 2026.
“Eighty-four students have now been accounted for and cleared,” Kango said.
According to her, seven students who paid their own fees will be refunded by the state, adding that a 2022 medical graduate whose certificate was omitted by the university is expected to receive it by the end of this academic session.
“Your Excellency, none of this would have happened without your directive that this must be resolved,” Kango added.
“This achievement belongs to your administration,” she stated.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, pharmacist Isah Mohammed Shamsudeen thanked the state government for redeeming their lost years and restoring their professional dignity.
“You chose to act by authorising the final clearing of this long-standing debt,” Shamsudeen said. As we finally hold this document that represents eight years of waiting, we recognise it as a by-product of your visionary leadership,” he added.
The Special Intervention Scholarship Programme was launched to build capacity in high-demand sectors. With the debt settled, the graduates can now register with professional bodies and begin their careers.
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