Kwankwaso Explains How He Got Money to Sponsor Over 300 PhD Holders through Kwankwasiyya Scholarship
- Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso hosted over 300 PhD holders produced through the Kwankwasiyya scholarship programme in Kano
- He disclosed that he personally sold properties to fund overseas education for hundreds of Kano youths after government sponsorship was discontinued
- The former governor urged the beneficiaries to engage in grassroots politics and public service
Kano state - Former governor of Kano state and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has hosted over 300 PhD holders trained under the Kwankwasiyya scholarship programme at the maiden annual convention of Kwankwasiyya scholars held in Kano.
Kwankwaso described education as the most enduring legacy any leader can leave behind, stressing that sustained investment in human capital remains the true measure of good governance.
Source: Facebook
His remarks were contained in a statement signed by the National President of the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly, Dr Mansur Hassan, and made available to journalists in Kaduna on Thursday.
The convention brought together beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme sponsored by Kwankwaso over nearly 25 years, an event the former governor described as historic for both Kano state and Nigeria.
I sold property to sponsor students - Kwankwaso
Senator Kwankwaso recounted how he sold several personal properties to sustain the Kwankwasiyya Scholarship Programme and sponsor hundreds of students from Kano state to study abroad.
He described education as the most enduring legacy any leader can bequeath to society, stressing that long-term investment in human capital remains the true benchmark for good governance.
“I remember many of you when you were very young. Some of you looked like you came straight from the villages. Today, I see confidence, professionalism and even grey hair,” Kwankwaso said, drawing applause from the audience.
He explained that following the 2019 general elections, when government sponsorship of foreign students was discontinued, he decided to personally sustain the programme through the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation (KDF).
“I realised I had properties I no longer needed—plots in Lagos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Adamawa and other places. I sold them and used the proceeds to sponsor 370 young men and women from Kano State to study abroad,” he disclosed.
Kwankwaso added that before this intervention, the programme had already sponsored over 3,000 students within four years to study in 14 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Kwankwaso: Initiative produced hundreds of medical doctors
Available records from the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly show that the initiative has produced hundreds of medical doctors and specialists serving in teaching hospitals in Nigeria and abroad; scores of pilots and aviation professionals; thousands of engineers, ICT experts and technologists; as well as academics and researchers, including over 300 PhD holders.
It has also produced pharmacists, architects, economists, lawyers, public policy experts and development practitioners working across Nigeria, Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
Source: Facebook
Kwankwaso said the foundation’s objective went beyond education sponsorship to include tracking beneficiaries, mentoring them and integrating them into public service, governance and national development.
“That is why we decided to engage you politically—at ward, local government, state, zonal and, by the grace of God, national levels, for those who are interested,” he said.
He cautioned scholars against elitism, stressing that advanced academic qualifications should not distance them from grassroots service.
“It is not fair for someone with a PhD or master’s degree to feel too big to serve at the ward level,” he warned.
Kwankwaso expressed optimism that the programme would eventually produce a scholar-governor and, in the future, a scholar-president.
He commended Kano state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for appointing several beneficiaries of the programme as commissioners, advisers and senior aides, and prayed to witness a beneficiary of the initiative govern Kano state and Nigeria.
Kwankwasiyya scholars praise Kwankwaso
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Kano state, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, described the scholarship scheme as one of the most impactful human capital development initiatives in Nigeria’s history, praising Kwankwaso’s foresight and consistency.
In his remarks, the National President of the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly, Dr Mansur Hassan, said the convention marked a defining moment for the scholars, describing the initiative as “the most unprecedented scholarship programme Nigeria has ever witnessed.”
Hassan added that several tertiary institutions across Kano and neighbouring states would face serious academic challenges without Kwankwasiyya scholars, noting that the convention featured award presentations, goodwill messages and testimonials from beneficiaries.
The convention featured the presentation of awards to Kwankwaso, goodwill messages from scholars across the globe and testimonials highlighting how the scholarship programme transformed beneficiaries from obscurity into globally competitive professionals.
Kano governor’s plan to breakaway from Kwankwaso
Legit.ng earlier reported that Kano State governor Abba Yusuf is poised to defect from the NNPP to the APC in January 2026, ending his decades-long political alliance with Rabiu Kwankwaso.
His move was expected to erase NNPP’s presence from Nigeria’s political map of ruling states and reshape Kano’s political landscape.
Sources revealed that the governor had already secured the backing of lawmakers and local government chairmen, making his defection appear irreversible.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
