Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has met with a group of scholarship beneficiaries and students currently studying for their PhD in different universities across Nigeria under the state scholarship scheme.
The meeting, shared by Leo Ekene, the governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, was described as warm and productive. The scholars took the opportunity to discuss their academic progress and thank the governor for his support of education in the state.
Governor Nwifuru reiterated his administration’s focus on education and on developing skilled people who can support Ebonyi State’s development. He said the government will continue to support learning, research, and academic growth for students from the state.
Ebonyi’s Long Search for an Improved HDI
Ebonyi state, under Nwifuru, is looking to improve its Human Development Index (HDI). This follows the previous administration’s heavy focus on infrastructure. Critics have called for the Ebonyi Government to focus on its people and invest in them. This is to stop the economic migration of Ndi Ebonyi to other parts of the region.
Governor Nwifuru is taking the lead on this, having sponsored a group of Ebonyi indigenes to the UK. These students are to further their studies up to the PHD level. This class of students will form a talent base for the state’s development. They are required to return to the state after their studies and invest.
Ebonyi state is known for its agricultural prowess, fertile lands, and a source of cheap labor across the region. The former Governor of the state, David Umahi, is credited with investing heavily in road infrastructure. He also embarked on other basic capital projects.
However, these projects have done little to affect the average man in the state. The average man still battles high rates of unemployment and a very steep social mobility. The Nwifuru administration has not done much either. Its exploration of foreign education has remained the administration’s most laudable project since its inception.
