Assessment of China’s Educational Aid to Northern Nigeria: Focus on Scholarship Recipients in Sokoto State

China's educational aid to Nigeria includes full and partial scholarships for Nigerian students to study at Chinese universities, a programme that has benefited thousands of Nigerians across all geopolitical zones. This study assesses the educational experiences and post-graduation outcomes of Chinese scholarship recipients from Sokoto State, North West Nigeria, for the period from 2015 to 2023. A graduate tracer study approach was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 85 Sokoto State residents who received Chinese government or provincial scholarships and completed studies in China. Supplementary interviews were conducted with ten Sokoto State scholarship selection committee members and five Sokoto-based employers. Findings indicate that agricultural science, engineering, and medicine are the most common disciplines studied in China among Sokoto recipients. Employment within the state is secured by 62 percent of returnees within twelve months. However, many returnees report difficulty applying China-acquired technical skills in the Sokoto context due to differences in technological infrastructure and equipment standards. Cultural readjustment challenges are common, particularly for female returnees navigating conservative social expectations after years of relative freedom in China. The study concludes that the Chinese scholarship programme delivers significant educational benefits to Sokoto State recipients but recommends post-return integration support, including alumni mentorship networks and skills-contextualisation workshops, to maximise development impact in the North West zone.

Keywords: Chinese scholarship, educational aid, Sokoto State, student returnees, North West Nigeria