MTN offers scholarship to 167 blind, 1,205 others

The hopes of 167 blind Nigerians were revived at the weekend by MTN Foundation with award of scholarship to pursue their career of choice at various institutions of higher learning in Nigeria.

Similarly, about 1,205 Nigerian youths were also awarded with various categories of scholarship to complete their career at their institutions of study.

The scholarship award was granted to brilliant blind scholars and high performing science and technology students, who distinguished themselves in an aptitude test for the 2014 season in continuation of the annual scholarship scheme of by the MTN Foundation.

The Executive Secretary of MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, who announced the awards at the 5th MTN Foundation Science, Technology and Blind Students Scholarship Scheme Award held in Abuja said the gesture was in line with MTN Foundation’s tradition of empowering less privileged Nigerians to attain their potentials.

The Foundation scribe explained that the scholarship scheme was part of MTN’s corporate social responsibility, CSR efforts aimed at building a better future for Nigeria by investing in education and guaranteeing better livelihood for tomorrow’s leaders as well as providing them with an opportunity to pursue their dreams despite financial limitation.

“We are here today to celebrate academic excellence in students who have worked extremely hard and who unquestionably deserve an opportunity to continue to pursue their dreams of a higher education.

“We also recognise the exemplary effort of a special group of students who have to overcome daily challenges in their quest for a brighter future,” she said.

Beyond the scholarship scheme, the arrangement had been made to take the scholars through a employability workshop after graduation from the Scheme to prepare for the challenges of world of work.

Ugboma, however, charged the beneficiaries to continue to maintain the required Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA Scores every year in order to benefit in subsequent years, adding that N200,000 will be given to each of the beneficiaries.