Karimi fulfils N300m pledge to Kogi students, begins bursary disbursement

Disbursement of a N300 million bursary to students across Kogi State has commenced under the Sunday Steve Karimi Education Foundation (SSKEF), working with the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), marking the expansion of the scheme beyond Kogi West to cover all three senatorial districts.

The programme, funded by Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West, is the second edition of the bursary initiative.

The maiden edition in 2024 covered students largely from Kogi West Senatorial District, with N100 million disbursed among 1,390 beneficiaries across the district’s seven local government areas.

In June 2025, SSKEF announced that the bursary would be extended to Kogi Central and Kogi East. Applications were subsequently opened to students from the two districts, targeting 610 beneficiaries in Kogi Central and 1,000 in Kogi East, bringing the total number of beneficiaries statewide to 3,000.

Karimi’s media team, in a statement, said the 2026 disbursement began on Tuesday, 20 January, with successful applicants receiving N100,000 each.

“This year’s edition of the bursary awards is an improvement on the maiden edition in 2024 when 1,000 students benefitted, limited to students from Kogi West alone.

Originally, the Kogi West yearly scheme was designed to last the four-year tenure of the lawmaker in the 10th Senate,” the statement said.

According to the media team, the bursary application portal opened on 1 August 2025 and closed on 31 August 2025, with eligibility limited to undergraduates in public tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education.

It said beneficiaries of the 2024 bursary were excluded, along with students of private institutions and final-year students.

“Any student who failed to upload or complete all required information in the application forms was not considered.

Any student who applied before 1st August was automatically disqualified. Only those who applied online through the link provided were considered,” the statement added.

The foundation said all applicants were subjected to the same screening process. “However, those recommended by the local government subcommittee will all receive their payment. We have beneficiaries from the College of Education Technical, Mopa, who do not have JAMB numbers or registration,” it said.

The statement also quoted Senator Karimi as saying the scheme reflects his commitment to education and transparency.

“Senator Sunday Steve Karimi remains committed to empowering students through financial assistance, promoting academic excellence, and contributing to the overall development of Kogi State. The seamless disbursement of this year’s bursary fulfils Senator Karimi’s earlier promise of a transparent, fair, efficient, and equitable process for all applicants,” it said.

During a parley with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lokoja in June 2025, Karimi had disclosed plans to disburse N300 million as bursary across the state.

“Last year (2024), I gave a bursary of N100m to Kogi West students, but today, with the 96 wards in Kogi East, I have concluded arrangements to give out N100m as bursary to them. In Kogi Central, where we have 57 wards, I will give N61m as bursary, while I will also give N139m to Kogi West students in the names of the Tinubu Support Group and Senator Sunday Steve Karimi Education Foundation. This amounts to a total of N300m. That is what we are going to do, and it has already started,” he said. 

The foundation said more than 10,000 students applied for the scheme, with 3,000 meeting the eligibility criteria.

Distribution by senatorial district includes 610 beneficiaries in Kogi Central, 1,000 in Kogi East and 1,390 in Kogi West.
Beneficiaries and parents have acknowledged receipt of the bursary.

Adebowale Ayobami Emmanuel, a student of Kogi State University, Lokoja, from Yagba West Local Government Area, said he received the alert and described the support as timely, calling Karimi “Godsent”.

Another beneficiary, Hezekiiah Obajemu, said, “I just received an alert of N100,000 this evening after my lecture.

God bless Senator Karimi abundantly. I am short of words. Thank you for this great opportunity and help shown to me.”

Atakolo Onalo, a lecturer at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, thanked the foundation for the bursary awarded to his daughter, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

“This is the first major support from a political cycle in Kogi State, and my family and I do not take this for granted.

Thank you, Distinguished Senator Sunday Karimi. We are grateful,” he said.

Kareem Enoch, whose son benefited from the scheme, said, “May God continue to strengthen Honourable Karimi.

May he continue to enjoy that office. Enemy within and enemy without will not prevail over him.”

Muhammad Munir, a student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Kotonkarfe, said the support eased immediate financial pressure.

“To be honest, my landlord has been on my neck over rent, and I was already losing sleep, not knowing where the next solution would come from.

This bursary lifted a heavy burden off my shoulders and gave me hope when things were overwhelming,” he said.

Another beneficiary, James Jibrin Nelson, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from Olamaboro Local Government Area, said the bursary would support his academic work.