What Achebe taught me – an insight from a younger generation
The saying that there is ability in every disability was further amplified at the recent MTN foundation event as Olubunmi Olamijilo, 200 levels Mass Communication, University of Lagos and Adebayo Isaiah Taiwo, from Federal College of Education (special) Oyo were among the 80 visually impaired students that received scholarships for their outstanding academic performance.
Olubunmi Olamijilo, whose outstanding CGPA of 3.91 gave her the award said she had at no time feels inferior competing with other students who are sighted adding that she believes that whatever they can do she can also do. She revealed that it has not being easy navigating her academics especially going for lectures and coping with inadequate facility during examination, but said she has coped considerably well because of good friends she surrounds herself with.
Olamijilo, while revealing the secret behind her outstanding performance said during lectures, she listens very attentively which assist her when she reading.
On what she hopes to do with her scholarship sum, she revealed that it will assist her get more study materials.
“The scholarship money will assist me to get a laptop to enable me browse the internet, to do my research work and enable me do my assignments without any hindrance,” she said.
Earlier on at the event, Hamzat Ahmadu, the chairman, MTN Foundation while speaking at the awards ceremony in Lagos said the organisation celebrates academic excellence in students who have worked extremely hard and who definitely deserve an opportunity to pursue their dreams of higher education.
According to him, over the last two weeks, scholarship awards have been presented to 238 successful candidates in Abuja, representing the Northern part of the country and 350 successful candidates in Owerri, representing the Eastern region.
On the whole, he noted that the foundation this year alone has awarded scholarship to 1,087 science students and 171 brilliant blind students. The gesture, he explained is about shaping Nigeria’s future through education and making an investment in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders, by providing them with an opportunity to pursue their dreams despite financial limitations.
Ahmadu further enjoined the recipients to work hard if they hope to continue enjoying the yearly N200, 000 which is given to students who maintain a CGPA of 3.5 and 2.5 GPA for the blind.
On her part, Nonny Ugboma, executive secretary, MTN Foundation said the process of obtaining the scholarship was straightforward, adding that applicants must be full-time undergraduates in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
“Applicants from public universities and colleges of education must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) score of 3.5 or its equivalent 2.1. For polytechnics, applicants must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 upper credit from the Ordinary National Diploma programme and have secured admission into the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme,” she said.
