The Nation Newspaper

Tag: scholarship

  • Scholarship: Nigerian students in Russia send SOS

    Nigerians studying in Russia under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) say that they are finding it increasingly difficult to continue with their scholarship in that country.

    Under the BEA scholarship, the Russian Government takes care of the students’ tuition, while the Nigerian government pays each of the students 500 dollars monthly for their upkeep.

    Mr Lawal Mustapha, President, Association of Nigerian Scholarship Students in Russia, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Samara, Russia, on Thursday that students were owed 20 months arrears.

    “We are appealing to the Nigerian government to pay 20 months stipend arrears owed to us; we also plead that they pay us the stipend as at when due.

    “The BEA award stipulates that the Nigerian government takes care of our living cost monthly with 500 dollars, while the host country pays the students’ tuition,” he said.

    He said the Russian government had faithfully held up their end of the agreements by paying BEA scholarship students’ tuition as at when due.

    “But unfortunately, the Nigerian government has not faithfully kept their own part of the agreement,” Mustapha said.

    He said the students needed the money to pay for their accommodation, Visa renewals, health insurance cover, feeding and other bills.

    Read also: Row over N11m scholarship fund at UNN

    According to him, the affected students have been living in hardship as many have been threatened with an eviction notice from their hostels and deportation.

    “We have resorted to looking for other means to fend for ourselves by working illegally for long hours in the cold winter for meagre pay. We are suffering,” he said.

    Reacting, Alhaja Asta Ndajiwo, Director, Federal Scholarship Board, said that efforts were being made to pay the students their outstanding arrears.

    She said the board had forwarded memos to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to start payment of both 2017 and 2018 arrears of the stipend.

    “The arrears will be paid to the scholars bank accounts,” she promised.

    NAN reports that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday also assured the students that their arrears will be paid.

    He said the Federal Government was committed to fulfilling its financial obligations to students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees both at home and abroad.

    “On our part, we will do our utmost best to meet our obligations arising from all bilateral agreement as much as circumstances will permit.

    “Nigeria under the Federal Government Scholarship, BEA and Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme, has 2,953 students studying abroad,” he said.

    Adamu said that the balance of the 2018 appropriation had been released with focus to offsetting the arrears owed to students.

    “It is important to note that since the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Federal Government has committed about N3 billion under the three schemes.

    “As I speak, the balance of the 2018 appropriation has been released and preparation is on to pay the scholars,” he said.

    No fewer than 753 Nigerian students under the BEA programme are currently pursuing various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Russia; Algeria; China; Hungary; Morocco; Egypt; Cuba; Romania; Turkey; Ukraine, Tunisia and Serbia.

  • Town union plans scholarship for members

    The Erhuhun Uneme Development Association, Lagos Chapter, has decided to give scholarship to wards of indigent members to cushion the effect of the harsh economy.

    Speaking at the association’s monthly meeting  held at the Pearlwort Hotel, Ikeja, on Sunday, the group’s Organising Committee Chairman, Mr Lucky Okhagbuzo, said a fundraiser was in progress and a committee was already defining modalities to be used for selection of beneficiaries who would be announced December 1.

    “In this harsh economy, we decided to encourage those in Lagos with children so they can get scholarship for their education  Before the end of next month, we will have a true picture of those really in need.  But we have fixed December 1 as the date to give the scholarship during our end- of-year programme.

    “We are raising funds; we are taking from those who are privileged to give to the less privileged,” he said.

    Another member of the  Organising Committee, Mrs Faith George, said the scholarship would be awarded yearly based on need.

    “We want to make the process formal and dedicate funds to it so people know it is available.  It is easy for us to know those that need it because we police ourselves,” she said.

    The Chairman, Erhuhun Uneme Development Association, Lagos Chapter, Mr Peter Balogun, said the scholarship was one of many initiatives aimed at developing their ancestral community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.  He said the group also prints exercise books for the primary and secondary schools in the town yearly.

    “The reason for our association is to develop our country and see to the welfare of our members in Lagos.  We have been doing this for years and it has been fruitful.

    “We print exercise book project yearly.  We did 4,000 copies which we shared to the primary and secondary school in the village,” he said

     

  • LASU’s physically challenged students seek scholarship

    The physically challenged students of the Lagos State University (LASU) have appealed to the state government to give them full scholarship.

    Their representative, Miss Dorcas Yunana, made the appeal on behalf of others on the sidelines of the University’s second distinguished lecture series on Tuesday.

    The title of the lecture was: “Life Skills Education and Entrepreneurship Learning in the 21st Century.’’

    Yunana is a 100-level student in the Department of Political Science.

    She said the state government should be willing to grant full scholarships to persons living with disabilities and studying in any higher institutions of learning.

    “I on behalf of my colleagues, commend the state government for its policies in favour of people living with disabilities such as disability-friendly infrastructure and the provision of educational tools.

    “We are grateful. I, however, wish to say that more can still be done for us by the state government. It can give full scholarship covering all expenses to any person living with disability who is able to gain admission into the tertiary institutions.

    “Also, more needs to be done in the area of provision of educational tools for us,’’ she said.

    Yunana said the life of the physically challenged, particularly the visually impaired, was not an easy one and became more difficult when the environment was hostile to them.

    According to her, stigmatisation is one of their major problems.

    She listed others to include lack of recognition that persons living with disability deserved special facilities and attention.

    Yunana, however, said that the experience of the physically challenged at LASU was different.

    She commended the university management, staff and students for doing everything within their powers to make life easy for her colleagues.

     

     

     

     

  • Children of slain Kaduna cleric get scholarship

    •Wife still in kidnappers’ den

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) has promised to sponsor the education of the four children of the late Rev. Hosea Akuchi.

    Akuchi, pastor of Nasara Baptist Church, was murdered last Monday in Kaduna.

    The gunmen kidnapped his wife; she has not been released.

    A family source said poor network had made it difficult to hear from the gunmen, who were demanding N5 million ransom.

    Sani, who visited the deceased’s home in Kasuwan Magani, Kujama, to condole with the children and the aged mother, promised to support the children’s education.

    His words:  “Kaduna has become the den of killer men. Unfortunately, it happened to a cleric, who preached peace. The government should prosecute the perpetrators because its most important duty is the protection of life and property.

    “I’ll take the matter to Abuja and see how the family can be assisted because it’s the responsibility of leaders to protect life  and property.

    “Though you can kill someone, you cannot kill his religion. I am here as senator representing the area, to sympathise with the family and the community. What matters most is not the dead, but the good name because, there is a time to born and a time to die and return to God.

    “I will sit with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the bereaved family to see how we can support the children’s education.”

    The deceased’s first daughter and CAN officials thanked Sani for sympathising with the family.”

     

  • Ganduje gives scholarship to 100 Borno orphans

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has offered a primary to tertiary level scholarship to 100 Borno children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    This is the second time the government would support children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency with free education.

    Ganduje stated this during a reception for both the first and second batch of the adopted orphans yesterday. He pledged to take care of them all.

    He said: “The Kano State government is serious about the future of these children, and that is why we thought there should be a synergy between us and the Borno State government. We have promised to educate these children from primary to tertiary level.

    “You are our children and we will continue to cater for you until you become adults. We shall train you on both Islamic and Western education. Ours is to help shape your future. I assure you that you will not lose anything, even parental care.”

    Ganduje explained that the government has secured assistance from some development partners, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, and other individuals, to realise the project.

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima thanked Ganduje for the gesture and praised Kano for being the only state to help the orphans.

    He said: “This gesture reminds us of the long standing relationship between our states, spanning over 100 years.

    “Kano is the only state that shows our orphans this kind and magnitude of love. We are grateful sir.”

  • Kano okays N.9b for scholarship arrears

    Kano State Executive Council has approved the release of N933, 947, 868  for settlement of tuition fees and allowances for state-sponsored students in overseas and local universities.

    Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, said this in a statement.

    He said the amount covered tuition/accommodation amounting to $38, 050 (N71, 067, 750) and upkeep allowances for undergraduate students in China, Uganda and India.

    It also covers N776, 326, 018 paid as tuition fees and upkeep allowances for students in five private universities as at February 2018.

    Other payments, the statement added, are payment of tuition fees for indigent students under state government and French Embassy Scholarship Programme put at $390, 462.14 (N8, 500, 000, 000).

    Garba said other approvals under the education sector include N19, 800, 000 and N52, 201, 333.94 million for settlement of outstanding fees for 66 leather trainees and manpower training, as well as N30, 000, 000 assistance fund for the completion of Jumu’at mosque construction project at new campus of Bayero University, Kano

    He said the council also approved the releases of N202, 501, 000 for training of the third batch of auto-mechanics trainees.

  • Rotary budgets N2.5m for scholarship

    Rotary International District 9110 will soon give N2.5milion worth scholarship to indigent students in Lagos and Ogun states.

    Its District Governor, Kola Sodipo said this at the opening of the refurnished three blocks of classroom in the State Primary School, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos.

    The project was carried out by Rotary Club of Maryland.

    Sodipo said: “When you talk of tertiary education, we do give scholarship to the tune of N100,000 per student in public institutions in Lagos and Ogun states.

    “We are looking at given 25 of such this year. And that would add up to about 75 scholars that we are currently sponsoring.”

    Rotary Club of Maryland President Kunle Adeniyi said Rotary is known to touch lives. “We want to inspire others through our works. If you look at what we have done today, we are trying to touch lives of the pupils and their teachers,” he said.

    Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Adebimpe Fadipe, who lauded the gesture, appealed that the temporary teachers posted to the school and the non-teaching staff be retained due to their effectiveness.

     

  • 10 music students get scholarship from Ebenzer Obey

    Ten music students have received scholarships at the maiden edition of Ebenezer Obey Music Foundation (EOMF) scholarship awards which held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, last Saturday.

    The scholarships are in three categories of N100, 000; N75,000 and N50, 000 to each University, Polytechnic and College of Education music students respectively, so as to aid their professional music pursuit.

    The beneficiaries include Songodara Samuel Oluwafemi and Adeleye Joshua Omolade from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State; Adarabierin Oba from University of Lagos; Ajala Docas Oluwaseun from the Lagos State University, Ojoo, Lagos State; Aiyeleru Abiodun Aron and Adejoro Abiodun Dairo from The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State; Akinbode Temitope Taiwo and Ogunleye Chrisatina Ebunoluwa from the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta; Osho Oyekunle from the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso and Gbenga Dada Samuel from the College of Education Monotechnic, Epe, Lagos.

    The philanthropic gesture was also extended to pupils of the Idogo-Ipaja Community High School as Obey announced that N150, 000 will be given to the school to sink a borehole for the school and its immediate environs, so as to put an end to the difficulty to access good water.

    The founder of the foundation, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, said the EOMF will consist of music and life skills institute, as well as a CBT center and modern recording studio.

    “This vision became clearer when I launched the foundation on my 75th birthday,” he said.

    “It’s main objective is to give back to the society, especially through scholarship awards and the establishment of youths empowerment center. I congratulate and urge the beneficiaries to make the best use of this golden opportunity by putting their best in their academics and professional pursuits. The token award is a seed into your future and it must be watered to grow and produce yields of musical excellence.”

    Vice Chairman of the BoT of the Foundation, Professor Saburi Adesanya, advised the beneficiaries to portray themselves as good ambassadors of the initiative and make use of the opportunity to boost their music career.

  • 21 indigent students get foundation’s scholarship

    TWENTY-ONE indigent varsity students of Lagos State who gained admission on merit list have been awarded a four-year scholarship.

    The award given by Jandor Foundation is to assist the less privileged.

    Jandor is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that empowers the less-privileged, facilitates community developments, mental capacity building and human development programmes.

    Forty students were nominated from the 20 local government areas, out of which 21 students were chosen after screening based on background, financial capacity and mode of university admission.

    One of the beneficiaries, Balikis Ajibola of the Department of Agricultural Science, and Lagos State University (LASU), whose mother is a trader, said she would ever be grateful for the privilege to further her education.

    “I am so happy that I can study in the university. My mother sells biscuits and it would have been difficult for her to see me through in the university.   This is a rare privilege and I would make good use of it.  It has also empowered me to assist and I am looking forward to replicating this gesture to the Nigerian youth,” she said.

    A special needs student, Mojisola Alabi of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), also thanked the foundation for its gesture.

    Some of the beneficiaries who had managed to pay their tuition fees received cheques of the amount they paid.

    Chairman of the Foundation, Mr Olajide Adediran said he had a passion to help educate the human resources of the country, thereby reducing  social vices and security problems which plaque the country.

    Adediran, who grew up in Mushin, explained that getting education was a near impossibility, but was grateful he benefited from it despite the odds.

    He said: “I grew up in a community that is defined with all sorts of vices.  Not from a buoyant family, but I was able to gain education.  Growing up, I can still remember how it was a luxury to even afford a mathset.  If I had not received the benefit of education, living in a community that habits all sorts of ills, I wonder where I would be today.

    “This has informed my decision to reach out to less privileged to give them the platform to be educated because it is only when the youth are educated that hoodlums would be reduced and we can sleep with our two eyes closed and even our children and generations would benefit from it.”

    He advised them to focus on their studies and be good ambassadors of their homes and the foundation.

    The Special Assistant to the  governor on Community Development Affairs, Quadri Adeniyi, said ideal people turn into societal menace as a result of negligence.

    He said if individuals and organisations can invest beyond their own interest, the community would be a safe place to live in.

  • ‘Kwankwaso’s govt foreign scholarship fraudulent’

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has said the foreign scholarship scheme undertaken by the administration of Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso was fraudulent.

    Ganduje spoke at a media parley to mark his third anniversary.

    He said his administration would continue to scrutinise the scheme to ensure probity and transparency.

    The governor regretted that the last administration sent thousands of students abroad without proper arrangement.

    He said: “There was a pronouncement by the last administration that the tuition was fully paid so incoming governments will have nothing to worry about. But when we came in, we discovered this was a lie.

    “We also discovered that our students were paying higher than their colleagues in other institutions. There was so much corruption that some money meant for tuition was captured at the Cairo airport by the Interpol (the case is still being investigated).”

    The governor noted that some universities where students were sent do not offer the courses applied for while some of them were of lower standard compared with the standard of universities in Nigeria.

    “Over N4 billion has been expended on foreign scholarship. If that money was used to develop the state-owned Yusuf Maitama Sule University, the permanent site would have been completed long ago. The faculty building was abandoned when we assumed office and we had to pay N400 million to bring back the contractors to site.

    “My administration decided to continue with the projects and programmes of the last administration because it is a government of continuity and fine-tuning.”