The Kebbi Government has paid N600 million backlog of tuition and registration fees for indigent students studying in various tertiary institutions of learning within and outside the country.

Alhaji Maigari Dakingari, the Commissioner for Higher Education, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

He said no fewer than 5,000 indigent students benefitted from the grant, stressing that the payment would be sustained as part of efforts to improve the standard of education.

The commissioner said the payment was made to tertiary institutions including Ahmadu Bello University, Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto and Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto.

Others include Alkalam University Katsina, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology Aliero, and Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi.

He said students on scholarship studying in Indian and Sudan also benefitted from the payment.

Dakingari said the state government would continue to support indigent students to acquire education and urged them to study hard.

•Photo shows Kebbi Governor Atiku Bagudu.