President Muhammadu Buhari during his recent trip to India played host to two young ladies from Kano State, who just bagged M.Sc degrees in the First Class category.

During his meeting with Nigerians who live in India, held at the premises of the Nigerian High Commission, New Delhi, President Buhari granted private audience to Aisha Umar Auwal, and Jamila Muhammed, who had been sent on scholarship by the Kano State Government, to pursue Master’s degrees. Both made First Class Honours.

Born to civil servant parents in Kano, Kano State, Aisha Auwalu attended Kano Capital School for her primary education from 1990 to1995, and finished secondary education in 2001. She proceeded to Bayero University, Kano, where she bagged a degree in Applied Biology.

In 2014, Aisha was beneficiary of the foreign scholarship scheme of her home state, and went to India for a Master’s. She finished with a Grade Point Average of 9.1, First Class Honours.

Jamila Muhammed was born to Muhammed Al Abubakar and Nadio Ado Saleh, and attended the Federal Government Girls College, Minjibir, Kano, before gaining admission to Ado Bayero University to read Computer Science. She graduated in 2011, and in 2014, was also a beneficiary of the Kwankwasiyya scholarship scheme of the Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso administration.

She proceeded to the Sharda University, Greater Noida, India, from where she has now bagged First Class in Computer Science and Engineering.

President Buhari lauded the two ladies for their feats, and commended such industry to Nigerian youths. He also praised the Kano State government for its emphasis on human capital development.

The two ladies gave the secret behind bagging first class degrees as “prayers and hard work,” with both saying they hardly had any social life.

They also thanked President Buhari for receiving them, with Jamila saying: “It is the greatest day of my life. I feel honoured to meet President Buhari, my hero, and lover of the Nigerian masses. The experience will remain indelible for life.”

The two ladies want to still pursue doctoral degrees before returning home, and Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, says the state government would be willing to absorb them into the public service whenever they returned home.

President Buhari had been in India to attend the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit.

•Photo shows, from left, Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, Nigerian Acting High Commissioner to India, President Muhammadu Buhari, Gov Ganduje of Kano State, National Security Adviser, Major Gen Babagana Monguno, Jamila Muhammed (in green dress), and Aisha Auwal.

Update news