MINISTER of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said the Federal Government is set to sponsor 100 first class graduates for further studies abroad.

He spoke on Sunday in Kano during a media interaction and an awards ceremony.

Shekarau said the100 first class materials would be sponsored under the Special Presidential Scholarship Programme.

According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan has instructed the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to select the best graduates and secure admissions for them to study up to doctorate level in universities abroad.

"President Jonathan instructed that best students should be screened all over the country irrespective of their locations for scholarships outside the country," he said.

Shekarau said the first batch had been screened and would soon leave the country to study in the best 25 universities in the world.

The minister said as part of the government's effort to provide Nigerians qualitative education some university lecturers had been sponsored for various training locally and abroad.

"The lecturers will study both within and outside Nigeria under the Tertiary Educational Trust Fund (TETFund).‎