MTN Foundation through its annual scholarship initiative has awarded scholarships to 360 Nigerian undergraduates in addition to 651 current scholars, totalling 1,011 scholars.
The annual scholarships recognise and reward high-performing students in Nigerian public tertiary institutions.
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The awardees for the 2023 edition were celebrated at awards ceremonies held in Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja.
The awards are usually presented to three categories of students – undergraduates in science and technology-related courses, blind students in any field of study and the top 10 candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Nigeria.
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Through the initiative, the Foundation has been able to support 4,590 Nigerian students with scholarships valued at about N3 billion in the last 12 years.
Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, chairman, MTN Foundation, while speaking at the Lagos event stated that the initiative was established with the belief that every individual regardless of background or socioeconomic status deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams through education.
According to him, it is imperative to empower the next generation of trailblazers, problem solvers, and African visionaries.
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“This is why we support blind students, top 10 UTME candidates, and top-performing STEM students by facilitating access to education, providing tools and resources to help them thrive academically and professionally,” Adelusi-Adeluyi stated.
Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State deputy governor, commended the Foundation for its commitment to the development of its host communities.
Hamzat, who was represented by Abdulkabir Ogungbo, Special Adviser to the state governor, observed that awarding scholarships to deserving recipients and the induction of past beneficiaries into the scholarship alumni, is a commendable gesture indicative of the Foundation’s corporate social responsibility.
According to him, the Foundation has kept faith with its mandate of empowering the youth and promoting academic excellence in public tertiary institutions over the past decade.
“You have done well, and I urge you not to relent in your pursuit of the promotion of excellence. You have been worthy development partners and stakeholders with the government, and together we will continue to push the agenda of development and growth in our society,” he stated.
As part of the MTN Scholarship programme, blind scholars are supported with JAWS screen reader software (authorised licences) and graduating scholars also participate in an employability workshop called ‘Skill Up’ which is designed to equip them with skills required for the world of work.
MTN Foundation partnered the Project Management Institute (PMI) for a two-week virtual workshop, preparing the 2023 graduates with skills in agile project management.
