The MTN Nigeria Foundation has given scholarships and more to 380 Nigerian students, including the visually impaired, from various tertiary institutions in the country.
The Foundation, as part of its 2024 Scholarship Awards, will also provide mentorship, networking opportunities and coding and digital skills to the student beneficiaries.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Mr Dennis Okoro, disclosed this in a remark at the 2024 MTN Scholarship Awards ceremony (for students’ beneficiaries in South-East and South-South) held on Thursday in Enugu.
Plight of lecturers on foreign scholarships being addressed – TETfund
Okoro said that the MTN foundation had been consistent in promotion of education, health, art, music and empowerment of Nigerians, mostly youths in the past 13 years.
He said that its scholarship award scheme within the past 13 years had promoted academic brilliance, excellence and resilience among Nigeria students.
The executive director charged the beneficiaries to be committed, resilient and focused on their education to maintain the scholarship award.
He noted that the MTN scholarship awards were not like other scholarships, because the foundation continued to award it based on merit to intelligent, resilient and hardworking students.
Okoro further pointed out that the “award is so competitive that for you to renew the scholarship, beneficiaries must maintain the same CGPA for each year.
“There are so many values attached to the scholarship, and the foundation does not just give the scholarship and abandon the beneficiaries.
“The foundation continues to teach them how to also push their digital and marketing skills after graduation, and be well positioned in the labour market.
“MTN has a brand and we do not dilute it. If you have the MTN scholarship, know that you merited it and be consistent with your studies,” he said.
Okoro advised those leaving the scholarship and student stage after their graduation to be circumspect in the larger society.
He said: “Above all, never place absolute trust in any human being but in God Almighty.”
Speaking, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, thanked the MTN foundation for the scholarship awards and including people living with disabilities.
Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, said that the scheme was in line with the state government’s vision of inclusivity and digital skills up-scaling for youths.
“This administration is working hard to equip people of the state, especially youths, with digital literacy so that they will not be left behind,” he said.
In a goodwill message, the acting Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, commended MTN for its passion and commitment to raising the standard of education in the country.
Chigbu, represented by Prof. Johnson Urama, admonished the benefitting students to put in more hard work and innovation, and to continue excelling in their studies to become shining lights tomorrow.
On her part, Dr Ifeoma Nnaji, the Deputy Director, Centre for Disabilities and Special Needs, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, thanked the communication giant for giving opportunity to people living with disabilities, especially the visually impaired.
Nnaji said: “We are grateful to have 13 UNIZIK students benefit from this scholarship award scheme this year.
“The centre is appreciative of MTN foundation for giving our students, who are visually impaired, this rare opportunity.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Chimaobi Chukwuegbo, a Student of UNN, lauded the foundation for its gesture “even in this financially difficult time”.
Chukwuegbo, who was from the Department of Electrical-Electronics, said that the scholarship would help him off-set cost of his textbooks and research seminars for the year.
Highlight of the event were presentation of the scholarship award certificates and the receipt of N300,000 award money alert by the beneficiaries before the end of the ceremony.
