The Sokoto State Government will continue to sponsor qualified indigenes to study professional courses abroad.
The State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, stated this while addressing the first batch of indigenes sponsored by the state government to undergo various professional courses in India and Pakistan.
Alhaji Idris Gobir said the initiative was aimed at producing skilled manpower in areas where the state is experiencing shortages.
He emphasized that the government would only sponsor students to study courses that are not offered in Nigeria.
The Deputy Governor, therefore, enjoined the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the state while in their respective countries of study.
He also reminded them to avoid engaging in anything that could get them into trouble.
Alhaji Idris Gobir further urged them to concentrate on their studies to justify the huge amount spent by the government on their sponsorship.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, Alhaji Kabir Labaran, thanked the state government for its commitment to improving the standard of education in the state.
He said the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu has settled billions of naira in debts inherited from the immediate past administration, owed to many higher institutions both within Nigeria and abroad.