A  philanthropist, Profes
sor O. T. Adikibi has promised to offer fully-funded in-country scholarships to  more than 1,000 applicants to undertake undergraduate studies in federal and state universities as well  as polytechnics in the country.  In an exclusive interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Administrative Manager,  O.A. Adikibi Foundation, Miss Ibiene Kalio,  said the scholarship programme was the first of its kind, adding that the maiden edition would begin selection of as many prospective students as possible from  March 14, irrespective of local government or state of origin.
Kalio, who is also the spokesperson of the programme, stressed that the scholarship selection process  closes June 24, 2016, noting that the Okrika-born philanthropist decided to use the multi-million Naira  scholarship scheme to invest in education of less-privileged Nigerians as a way of reciprocating the  support given to him as an intelligent but indigent teenager, to further his education and become somebody academically.
She said the scholarship targets young school leavers with required five- credit passes in the West  African Examinations Council’s Senior School Certificate (SSC) and good scores in Joint Admissions and  Matriculation Board’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The administrative manager explained that the benefitting students must be within 18-25 years  of age  brackets, who are interested in offering courses in Medicine, Information Technology, Engineering,  among others.
Kalio further added that beneficiaries must not only be Nigerians, indigent and intelligent but must be  young orphans with bright future, adding that the foundation believes that one way to invest in the  future is to create opportunities for the less-privileged to excel in life, and contribute their quota to  national development.
She appealed to interested applicants to go online and download the scholarship forms at www.adikibi.scholarships.org. and follow the instructions in filling the forms, advising that once the  forms are completed, applicants can summit same at No. 203, Victoria Street, Port Harcourt, or by post  through P.O. Box 9192, Port Harcourt, with sender’s name on the reverse side of the envelope.
The spokesperson added that the foundation prefers physical submission of the application forms to  give them opportunity to conduct on-the-spot interview of potential beneficiaries, given the strict  selection criteria.
She hinted that to benefit fully from the scheme, selected applicants must submit four passports, birth certificate, JAMB result, O ‘Level WAEC results, and National Identity Card or Permanent Voter’s Card,  emphasising that to remain a beneficiary, students must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0: every year until graduation.  The foundation’s spokesperson said that the aim of the programme was to promote academic  excellence amongst indigent young Nigerians with little or no prospect of geuing good education, regretting that a large proportion of the less-privileged in the country has the “potential to turn around the fortunes of the nation, if they are integrated into the productive group of Nigerians.
She appealed to indigent teenagers from the 23 local government areas of the state to take advantage of the opening of the selection process of the scheme to rewrite their stories, and begin a new journey towards greatness, adding that the state needs their immense contributions to compete favourably  in the comity of states in the federation.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana