Nation
50 Nigerians Get Scholarships For Post-Graduate Studies
Fifty Nigerian graduates have been awarded scholarships to write the pre-requisite standardised test for qualification to undertake post-graduate studies in Europe, America and Asia.
The 50 luck beneficiaries were among 850 Nigerians who applied for the scholarship organised by a U.S.-based charitable organisation, i-Scholar Initiative (iSI).
They are to get full funding to undertake the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
The sponsorship also covers a predetermined number of application fees and end-to-end mentorship support through peer-peer mentoring, webinars and workshops.
Speaking during the online onboarding session for the 2020/2021 beneficiaries, a member of the iSI Board of Trustees (BoT), Prof. Idowu Olayinka, noted that the initiative was to assist many Nigerians who wanted to further their education abroad.
Olayinka, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, added that the initiative was to lessen the financial burden on the aspirants and also provide the right mentorship for them as they proceed.
“Unfortunately, for many of our compatriots, the desire to further their education is often hampered by lack of funding and inadequate information on the application procedure.
“It is in this regard that i-Scholar Initiative has come to the rescue with its intervention to inspire the graduates over the last three years to pursue their ambitions,” he said.
He added that many of the past beneficiaries from the batch of 2019 were already in various fully funded graduate programmes in the USA and around the world with funding in excess of 2 million dollars.
Olayinka added that between 2019 and 2020, a total of 70 scholars were supported with over 27,000 dollars invested in addition to mentorship, adding that the scope of support increased further in 2021 to include payment of application fees in addition to the traditional GRE and TOEFL.
For the iSI President, Victor Ogunmola, he said that the initiative, since 2019, has provided continuous mentoring and career coaching, career progress tracking through college and post-college, as well as networking opportunities for scholars.
He added that the project forms part of the initiative’s drive to build a younger and self-driven generation for future leadership, innovation and the overall development of Africa.
“We are doing this for the next generation of leaders. We want to do more. We want to offer full scholarships, we want to sponsor visa fees, flight tickets and tuition,” he said.
The Chairperson of iSI Board of Trustees (BoT), Tolulope Ewherido, charged the beneficiaries to be role models for the coming generation of young people, charging them to pay it forward.
Ewherido thanked sponsors and volunteers whose activities and support have continued to yield results since 2019 when the organisation started.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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