Eighteen indigent undergraduates have benefitted from scholarships value at N100 000 each, courtesy of Rotary District 9110.
The beneficiaries were presented with their cheques by District 9110 Educational &Welfare Endowment Fund (DEWEF), which cut across Lagos and Ogun states, at Rotary House, GRA Ikeja, last week.
DEWEF Chairman, Adeniji Raji, thanked one of the club leaders, Adekunle Kukoyi, who initiated DEWEF in 1992 to encourage poor, but brilliant undergraduates whose cumulate grade points hover between 3.6 and 4.2.
Adeniji recalled that the award eventually kicked off in 2009-2010 with three awardees, adding that the nimber of beneficiaries have continued to increase with each edition.
“As you continue your journey through college and into the wider society, be reminded always that each of you therefore, has a role to play to make Nigeria better,” he urged.
He added: “Bear in mind at all times that the purpose of human life is to serve and show compassion and the will to help others. I pray God to give that sense of humility to you so that you can know how to render help in your own way, according to your capacity for your own good and the benefit of others.”
Past president and Chairman of the Scholarship Committee, Ebun Atinuke, recalled that the board received 68 applications. After screening, applicants were pruned to nine, Ebun said, adding that DEWES Board then decided in its wisdom to double the number.
“We initially interviewed about 50 potential awardees, but I can categorically tell you that those you see here are the best,” Ebun said, referring to the 18 beneficiaries.
He continued: “During the interview, they told us all we knew (about Rotary); some of which many of us have even forgotten. I will encourage you to imbibe this culture so that you can grow from Rotaractors to Rotarians.”
One of the past presidents of Rotary Lagos, Adeoye Tugbogbo, whose tenure was between 1985 and 1986, in his goodwill message, said he was at the event to represent two of the beneficiaries from Ogun State. He has also been a member of DEWEF since inception,
“I am here to support two awardees from Ogun State. Last year we had three out of nine awardees. I am happy for the progress we have made so far,” she said.
Two of the beneficiaries, Ojo Owolabi and Bakenne Mariam, thanked DEWEF for the gesture.
Ojo, a 200-Level Environmental Engineering undergraduate of University of Lagos, recounted his journey to being a beneficiary.
“It was our departmental course representative who informed us about the scholarship with an instruction that we should write an essay justifying why we are from a poor background and why we needed this money. We submitted to Rotary District and we were all invited to a very strenuous screening. We were about 20, but it was only two that survived in the end.”
“This scholarship will meet part of my fees and also propel me to be the best ,” he said.
Bakenne, a 300-Level Marketing student of Lagos State University (LASU), and a two-time winner of the scholarship, expressed her happiness for qualifying, having met the 3.6 and 4.2 cumulate grade point benchmark by DEWEF.
I want to buy a laptop. I shall soon be proceeding to my final year where I will begin my project, and I need to have a good laptop to do this,” Bakenne said on what she intended to do with the money.
Tag: scholarship
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18 undergraduates get Rotary scholarship
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21 get philanthropist’s scholarship
You’re selected because you have done well and I want to note that ZOAAF is not a political organisation or for chieftaincy purpose but was established eleven years ago to ensure the children from this town come out best among their contemporaries.
A non-political foundation, Zinatulahi Oyetoro Alari Adewuyi Foundation (ZOAAF) has given scholarship grants to 21 indigent students of Lanlate studying in various universities across the country.
The facilitator of the scholarship scheme, Prince Gbaye Adewuyi began the scheme 11 years ago with the aim of raising intelligent people from Lanlate town in Oyo State, especially sons and daughter of the less-privileged people.
According to him, in the last 11 years, ZOAAF scholarship scheme has produced no fewer than 73 graduates from various disciplines, even as he maintained that the selection of recipients of the awards was based on merit and was not organised for any political interest.
While addressing the beneficiaries, Prince Gbaye said: “To the beneficiaries, you should know between seed and bread, meaning that you should learn how to invest in others whenever you’re privileged as I’m doing for you today.
“You’re selected because you have done well and I want to note that ZOAAF is not a political organisation or for chieftaincy purpose but was established eleven years ago to ensure the children from this town come out best among their contemporaries.”
He, therefore, urged others who are rich to join hands with him and contribute their quota to the development of the town. He noted that there are others who indigenous to Lanlate that are richer than him, urging them to help in charity intervention.
He added that his next focus is the provision of employment for unemployed graduates, saying that, it will be meaningless to produce about 74 graduates who have no jobs. He thanked the selection committee for their efforts in the past 11 years.
Earlier in is welcome address, the Chairman of the Board of ZOAAF Scholarship Scheme, Dr. Johnson Adewuyi lauded the initiative of Prince Adewuyi and for not relenting in organising this year’s scholarship scheme despite the economic recession. He said the benefactor believed in education as the foundation for success of the less-privileged individuals.
In their various remarks, a member representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North at the House of Representatives, Hon. Gbenga Ojoawo and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa land, Chief Timothy Alarape, appreciated the gesture of the donor. The duo said if other well-meaning individuals should embrace the spirit of giving, our society would have been better than this.
One of the beneficiaries who graduated six years ago and gainfully employed with popular Nigerian telecommunications company, Globacom Limited and now part of the scheme, Abiodun Mutiu Abidemi expressed his gratitude to the facilitator.
The graduate of Mathematics/Statistics from the University of Lagos enjoined the beneficiaries to emulate the gesture of the philanthropist by giving back to the community whenever they are privileged.
The beneficiaries were selected from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Adekunle Ajasin University, University of Ibadan, University of Ado-Ekiti, University of Lagos, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and University of Ilorin.
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KWASU’s alumni scholarship for undergraduates
Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Prof AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, has identified volunteerism and selflessness as two virtues capable of enhancing Nigeria’s development.
Na’Allah said this while presenting scholarship awards by Kwara State University Alumni Association to 10 outstanding undergraduates drawn from across the institution’s departments.
Na’Allah explained that understanding the values of selfless services, volunteerism and patriotism would build a more virile Nigeria.
Praising the alumni body for demonstrating exemplary qualities, he charged KWASU students to borrow a leaf by rendering selfless service to the university and humanity.
He added that volunteerism allows students to garner experience across all fields of profession and pave the way for easy employment in future.
Earlier, President of the alumni, Mr. Damilare Oyinloye, described the scholarship award as the ‘most consistent scholarship programme’ in the university since its establishment.
Oyinloye noted that despite Nigeria’s economic recession, the alumni body still went ahead to support the students through scholarships that cover a part of beneficiaries’ tuition as well as educational endowment support services.
He noted that beneficiaries were selected in a fair exercise, having been found worthy in learning and character.
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Ajibola floats scholarship scheme at 83rd birthday
Proprietor, Crescent University, Abeokuta Prince Bola Ajibola, has unveiled a university scholarship scheme to promote and reward excellence in academics and good character among youths.
Speaking during his 83rd birthday celebration, Ajibola, a former Judge of the International Court of Justice, said it was high time good conduct and character were inculcated in addition to academic excellence for youth development.
He said these accounted for the investment of his earnings in establishing a university that would champion and propagate total education and emphasis on breeding a new generation of Nigerians in the quest for moral rejuvenation and rebirth of values.
“Our commitment to academic and moral excellence as a university is now in its second decade with remarkable achievements by our graduates, in further study at home and abroad and in employment,” Ajibola said.
The scholarship scheme, according to the former Attorney-General of the federation and Minister of Justice, would be open to all applicants for admission to Crescent University, who scored very high marks in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination and select Crescent University as first choice. Successful students would then undergo tests for good character and ability to benefit from morality-based tertiary education,‘’Ajibola added.
“No brilliant and able-child with good conduct, should be denied proper education solely on the inability to pay school fees,” he said.
Ajibola recalled that the first decade of the university witnessed, among many other innovations, the pioneering and introduction of Global Citizenship as a compulsory course into the university curriculum in the country.
He is happy that the introduction of this course with guidance and counselling programmes of the university is yielding fruits in terms of its alumni being identified with exemplary conduct in employment and higher studies, he added.
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Edo awards scholarship to child of slain Afegbua
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has offered full scholarship to the only child of ex-council chairman of Etsako East local government area, the late Prince Suleiman Afegbua, who was shot dead along Benin-Auchi Road on Thursday by gunmen.
Obaseki said: “Even if Suleiman is gone, I will make sure we take care of Zaiki, offer scholarship to his child to the university level and provide the necessary needs for the family.”
He spoke during a condolence visit to the family home of the deceased at Awoyemi Quarters of Okpella in Etsako East Local Government of Edo State yesterday.
The governor was received by late Afegbua’s father, his wife and other members of the quarters.
Obaseki also promised to complete the road leading to the deceased’s quarters.
According to him: “This road leading to this quarters (Awoyemi) which Suleiman could not complete will be completed and the youth will not be forgotten, as Suleiman was always fighting for the youth”.
He described Afegbua as an administrator and man of peace who did his best to foster unity and development in his community.
According to Obaseki, “You all know him to be a man of peace. He was going to Benin on that day for a reconciliation meeting to settle the problem in Okpella.
“He was a man of peace and you will recall that for the last few weeks there has been series of robbery by Fulani on that road as well as kidnapping.”
The governor noted that a leader of APC from Akoko-Edo local government area escaped being kidnapped by the Fulani herdsmen, stressing that information available to him revealed that Afegbua was killed why trying to escape from the robbers.
“What I heard was that when his vehicle was intercepted by the robbers, he wanted to escape but the robbers felt he was going to attack them and they shot at him. That was why the other two persons with him in the vehicle were not killed,” he stated. -
Stranded Amnesty scholarship students seek Osinbajo’s intervention
This is not the best of times for the Niger Delta Scholarship students studying abroad under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). They are complaining of hard times because of what they refer to as poor funding of the programme.
In fact, they want the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to wade into the financial difficulties facing the programme. They want Osinbajo to treat their matter with seriousness in the spirits of the ongoing move by the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to the crisis in the Niger Delta.
The students’ representatives, Mr. Emomotimi Pius, in a statement, lamented that they were no longer allowed by their schools to undertake academic activities for not paying their tuition fees. Pius said they were also facing eviction from their accommodation over nonpayment of school fees and in-training allowances.
He said: “It has come to our notice how the ministries of finance, budgeting and planning, the Accountant-General and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are frustrating the Amnesty Programme by not releasing funds being approved by President Muhammad Buhari to the Amnesty Office.
“We are making it known to the general public the suffering the Niger Delta students are facing in foreign land due to poor funding of the amnesty programme.
“Students have also been asked to return back to Nigeria from America due to inadequate funding of the programme. We are totally against such decision of abrupt termination of our education.
He further said that students from the various universities were yet to receive a dime from the little sum of money that was released to the amnesty office.
He noted that Swansea University, Wales; Hertfordshire University, Hartfield; University of Portsmouth; University of Plymouth, University of Birmingham and others had not received their money for five months.
“We are in our final year of study and will be graduating soon. We are calling on the acting president, the House of Rep and Senate to take the necessary steps to salvage us from this precarious situation we are in due to lack of funds.
“While we commend the effort of the Acting president in seeking sustainable peace in Niger Delta through his visits to various states in the region, we call on all youths, ex-agitators, in the region to embrace the move.
“We are calling on the Finance Minister, the Minister of Budgeting and Planning, Accountant-General and the Governor of CBN to stop frustrating the effort of the Special Adviser and Coordinator of the Amnesty Hrogramme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) in achieving success in the amnesty programme.
“We are asking they stop playing politics with the release of funds for the amnesty program and support the effort of the special adviser in bringing the needed peace in Niger Delta and Nigeria”.
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Scholarship for indigent students
Students seeking admission into tertiary institutions have been advised to work hard and pursue their goals.
Wife of Lagos State Governor Mrs. Bolanle Ambode said this when she gave award letters to two students who passed the scholarship interviews of her pet project, Hope for Women in Nigeria Initiative (HOFOWEM).
They are Oluwadare Caroline Omolola and Afolabi Olakunle Felix.
Speaking at HOFOWEM office in Oregun, Ikeja, Mrs. Ambode said: ‘I urge you lucky recipients of the HOFOWEM Scholarship Award and indeed all students of tertiary institutions, to put in your best in your academics, as that remains the surest way to achieve your dreams.
“You must note that coming from humble beginnings is not necessarily a limitation to what you can achieve in life. It is about how much of your time and attention you invest in your academics.”
The government said the scholarship was in line with HOFOWEM’s ideal to give hope to underprivileged children by encouraging their educational pursuits.
Mrs Ambode added that their tuition fees ,monthly maintenance allowance, book and incidental allowances would be paidtill they graduate.
She advised them to always put God first and shun vices.
The beneficiaries both studying Accountancy at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and University of Lagos said it was a dream come true.
Their parents thanked Mrs. Ambode for the gesture, praying for the state’s progress and the foundation.
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Lagos conducts oral scholarship interview for 600
The Lagos State Scholarship Board on Saturday put 600 students through oral interviews to ascertain their claims of being from the state and eligibility for 2016/2017 local scholarship offered by the government.
Mr Stephen Oshinowo, the Executive Secretary of the board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the candidates needed to be interviewed to authenticate their claims of Lagos being their state of origin.
“Out of over 3000 candidates who sat for the computer based test in February 2017, only 600 candidates scored 43 per cent cut-off mark.
“We reduced the cut-off mark to 43 per cent to give more candidates opportunity to benefit from the scholarship.
“The candidates must attend the oral interview to substantiate their claim to Lagos,” he said.
Oshinowo said three panelists, selected from the five administrative divisions — Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Epe, were brought in to interview the candidates.
He said that the local scholarship was for exceptionally brilliant students, who have made 3.5 CGPA in their various institutions.
“In 2015/2016 session, about 1121 candidates benefited from the exercise.
“Out of the 600 candidates, those that are not recommended will still be dropped because we do not want to exceed what our budget can accommodate,” he said.
According to him, the local scholarship covers undergraduates, Masters and PhD students, who are indigenes of the state.
Oshinowo said that the budget for the 2016/2017 scholarship is N265 million.
He said that the state government was aware of the economic downturn and was ready to assist indigenes of the state to pursue their academics.
According to him, the names of the successful candidates after the exercise would be forwarded to the governor for approval and release of funds.
Oshinowo said undergraduates would be awarded N200,000 yearly for the duration of their course, while masters students would receive N300,000 once and PhD students get N400,000 yearly for the duration of their programme.
He, however, said that candidates must maintain 2:1 CGPA throughout their academics to continue to benefit from the scholarship.
Mrs Kudirat Odewale, one of the panelists from Epe division, told NAN that the essence of the oral interview was to ascertain the claim of the candidates, find out their family house and history.
Odewale said that government could not afford to waste resources on people that are not from the state.
She said the interview was mostly conducted in native language and names also play a major role to ascertain place of origin.
“In the past, we have seen students who claimed to be indigenes of the state but could not speak the language or identify their family house.
“Some students go as far as collecting scholarship from two different states; all these we are trying to stop,” she said.
One of the candidates, Miss Maume Hundenu, from Badagry division, commended the state government for setting up the scholarship to help average students, pleading that it be sustained.
“I am satisfied with the interview process; the panelists checked my documents, my family history and ability to speak my native language.“It is not stressful, everything is orderly unlike the previous exercise.
“If I get the scholarship, it will help me finance my education and not become a drop-out,” she said. (NAN)
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32, 400 pupils battle for NTIC maths scholarship
A total of 32, 400 Primary Five and Six pupils are now in the race for 15 special scholarships tenable at any of the 17 branches of the Nigeria Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) nationwide.
The 14th edition of the competition jointly organised by the NTIC and the National Mathematics Centre (NMC) took place in 52 locations across the entire federation.
NTIC’s Managing Director, Mr. Orhan Kertim, said the second stage of the competition would hold at NTIC schools in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun and Yobe states on Saturday, after which the best pupils would be rewarded at an award ceremony to hold in Abuja and Kano on March 15.
He said the aim of the competition is to address the phobia for mathematics among young ones.
“Our objective for organizing this competition is the recognition that Mathematics is the key subject for science-oriented courses and there is a well-known problem of pupils being afraid of Mathematics. We decided to organise this competition towards eliminating the phobia or fear for Mathematics.
“First, they prepare keenly for this competition and by the time they gain admission into junior secondary school, they discover that it assisted in building their interest in the subject and they easily demonstrate better performance,” he said..
He said winners will get different categories of scholarship.
“The best student wins N300, 000 and there are gifts for his/her school and Mathematics teacher. The main prize is 100 per cent scholarship through the junior and senior secondary schools while the best student in each state gets 50 per cent scholarship,” he said.
“Also, we offer scholarship for successful pupils; the competition has two legs; in the first one, the best three pupils in each state are offered 100 percent scholarship in an NTIC school.
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Four girls get N3m scholarship
The Mind Builders School has awarded a scholarship worth N3 million to four new pupils of its high school.
The amount would cover part tuition for six years of secondary education for Dawn Akinselure, Annabel Adesola, Tiwalade Oladunni and Tamilore Adegboyega.
The four bring to a total of 14 pupils enjoying full or partial scholarship worth about N6 million in the school.
Principal of the School, Mr Francis Fasuyi, said the awards were based on the exceptional performance of the students in the Entrance Examination for the 2016/2017 academic session.
He said that the aim of the scholarship scheme was to promote and reward excellence while providing a solid foundation for brilliant students.
Mind Builders School commenced operations as a Nursery and Primary School in January 1998. The High School started 10 years later in September 2008.
Since then the school has opened annexes in Omole Phase 1, Ikeja CBD in Alausa and Omole Phase II.
The High School has produced four sets of graduates who are studying in reputable universities in Nigeria and abroad.