Awwalu Salisu, a 23-year-old commercial tricyclist from Kano, who returned a sum of N15 million left in his tricycle by a Chadian businessman in 2023, has been awarded a scholarship worth N250 million to pursue his education up to the PhD level.
Awwalu’s extraordinary deed garnered widespread acclaim, earning him the prestigious ‘Outstanding Young Person of the Year 2023’ Award at the LEADERSHIP Media Group’s annual conference and awards ceremony. This recognition celebrated his exceptional act of honesty that set a commendable example for others.
During the ceremony, Peter Obi, a fellow awardee and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), extended the first scholarship offer to Awwalu at Abuja’s Baze University, promising support for his academic journey up to the doctoral level.
Not to be outdone, Mohammed Umar Bago, the Governor of Niger State and co-recipient of the LEADERSHIP Governor of the Year Award, playfully remarked that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) couldn’t let the Labour Party steal the spotlight. In a generous gesture, Bago pledged a N250 million scholarship fund to Awwalu, aiming to acknowledge his integrity and inspire other young Nigerians to uphold similar virtues.
Bago outlined the scholarship distribution, allocating N50 million each from his personal funds, President Bola Tinubu, his Ministers, the APC Governors Forum, and the Niger State government. Additionally, he announced his intention to name one of the road projects in Niger State after the honorable Kano tricycle rider, further commemorating his exemplary conduct
