Two Nigerians who are beneficiaries of the Lebanese-Nigeria Initiatives (LNI) annual full MBA scholarship, to study at the American University of Beirut (AUB), have pledged to use the knowledge acquired to impact the lives of youths in Nigeria.
At a meet and greet in Lagos Nigeria, Ajibola Olubando and Johnson Nwazuruahu said they were fired up to help young Nigerians through mentoring programs to navigate their career paths. According to both beneficiaries, this is especially for those undergoing the mandatory NYSC scheme and wondering “what next” after the service year. They said the majority of young graduates in Nigeria need guidance and inspiration at this critical stage of their lives.
Recounting their respective experiences from the American University of Beirut, both scholars said the academic and leadership training they received at AUB has given them a new optimistic perspective on life, which they intend to bring to bear in a bid to impact the social and economic landscape of Nigeria.
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“The program was helpful because it opened my eyes to other aspects of the business beyond engineering”, said Olubando. For Nwazuruoha, “AUB is a fantastic university with very experienced and accessible lecturers. Lebanon is a country of people with great business acumen, I have learned a lot from them”.
Speaking at the meet and greet in Lagos, Faysal El Khalil, chairman of the Lebanese-Nigeria Initiatives, said LNI was established by business leaders of the Lebanese community in Nigeria to strengthen the cordial relationship between Nigerians and Lebanese living and working in Nigeria. El Khalil said the MBA scholarship at AUB is one of several socio-economic projects by the Lebanese community in Nigeria aimed at giving back to Nigerian society.
Furthermore, he said LNI has endowed the sum of US $1.5m with the American University of Beirut to ensure that the MBA scholarship for one young Nigerian every year is in perpetuity.
