By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

The Coordinator, Dominican College, Abuja, Rev. Fr. Stephen Ogbe, has announced the launch of an indigent scholarship Trust Fund to assist poor kids get free education.

He said the Dominican Society came up with the college to give free education to all indigent children who may never be able to afford private schools.

According to him, the Dominican Society is at the forefront of trying to see that many of our children are educated.

“We are flagging off today the indigent scholarship Trust Fund and so the number of children we are going to pick will be dependent on how many people are willing to help and people can decide to adopt children. If you adopt a child, all we need from you is to contact us  and we will tell you what it takes to keep the child in school.

“The indigent scholarship is not only at secondary school level, by the time they reach SS1 we will begin to look for the universities that will be able to give them scholarship,” Ogbe told reporters at the official unveiling of the college in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

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The coordinator of the college lamented Nigeria’s rising out – of – school children figures, saying it will worsen the country’s illiteracy level.

He said: “We started in 2018 but before that, looking at the situation of schools in Nigeria and also looking at the fact that the Catholic church, the Dominican society is right at the forefront of trying to see that many of our children are educated.

“Painfully enough, Nigeria is leading the world in out – of – school children and this is saying that the culture of illiteracy is growing very fast in Nigeria, that is not good for us as a nation, it’s not good for us as people and in the course of that, we have come up with this school so that through it, we will be able to give free education, hundred percent education, quality education, world standard to all indigent children who may never be able to afford private schools.

“And so to do that is to begin this structure you have seen here in 2018 and from 2018 to now, despite the COVID-19, I can say God has really helped us. Again, we cannot do it alone because education for all is the responsibility of all and because of that we are asking that well meaning individuals in Nigeria and around the world should help us so that we can give meaning to people’s lives.”