Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has recalled how he sold personal properties across several states and used the proceeds to sponsor 370 young men and women from Kano State to study abroad, describing education as the most enduring legacy any leader can leave behind.
Kwankwaso spoke as beneficiaries of the Kwankwasiyya Scholarship Programme gathered in Kano for their Maiden Annual Convention, an event that brought together scholars sponsored over a period spanning nearly 25 years. He thanked Almighty Allah for sparing their lives to witness what he described as “a very historic day for Kano State and Nigeria,” noting the transformation he had observed among many of the beneficiaries.
“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,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
According to a statement by Dr. Mansur Hassan, Kwankwaso, who governed Kano State for eight years, said the convention underscored the importance of leadership, sustainability and long-term investment in human capital. He revealed that after the 2019 general elections, when government sponsorship of foreign students was discontinued, he personally sustained the programme through the Kwankwasiyya Development Foundation.
“I realised I had properties I no longer needed, 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.
Beyond the foundation-sponsored scholars, Kwankwaso said the programme had earlier supported more than 3,000 students within four years to study across 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The initiative, he said, has produced doctors, engineers, pilots and other global professionals.
Available records from the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly showed that the programme has so far 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, with over 300 PhD holders unveiled at the convention. 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.
Kwankwaso explained that the foundation’s objective was not only to sponsor scholars but also to mentor them, track their progress and integrate 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 against elitism, stressing that higher education should not distance scholars 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 hope of witnessing the emergence of a Scholar-Governor and, eventually, a Scholar-President. He also commended Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for appointing many scholars as commissioners, advisers and senior aides, and prayed to see a beneficiary of the programme one day govern Kano State and even Nigeria.
He further called for proper documentation of all beneficiaries to strengthen coordination, communication and digital engagement, while cautioning that betrayal never leads to lasting success.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, commended Kwankwaso’s foresight, describing the scholarship initiative as one of the most impactful human-capital interventions in Nigeria’s history.
In his opening remarks, the National President of the Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly, Dr. Mansur Hassan, described the convention as a defining moment, praising Kwankwaso for initiating what he called “the most unprecedented scholarship programme Nigeria has ever witnessed.” He noted that without Kwankwasiyya scholars, several private, state and federal tertiary institutions across Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe and beyond would face academic collapse.
Hassan also praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for launching the “1001 Scholars” initiative, which he said has restored Kano’s leadership in academic excellence. According to him, Kano State now boasts the highest concentration of highly qualified academics in Nigeria, with over 300 PhD holders unveiled at the event.
He announced plans to establish a Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly Research Institute aimed at promoting evidence-based governance, innovation and policy development, while appealing for the absorption of unemployed scholars in the state’s proposed recruitment of 1,000 professionals.
The event featured the presentation of awards to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, goodwill messages from scholars across the globe and testimonies highlighting how the scholarship programme transformed beneficiaries from obscurity into globally competitive professionals. The convention, attended by dignitaries from across the country, ended with prayers for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Kano State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
