The Member representing Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkemkanma Kama, has secured a whooping N60m scholarship grant from the leading African Fintech company and Mobile Banking App, Opay, for the indigent undergraduate of his constituency studying in Alex Ekwueme Federal University of Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State.
Kama said a total of 20 indigent students will benefit from the scholarship scheme while more students from the constituency will continue to replace vacancies created by graduation of any of the first 20 students.
The scheme will run for 10 years and each beneficiary would be receiving N300,000 annually as education support grant, according to the Lawmaker.
Kama said he attracted the scholarship due to his quest to enhance quality education in his constituency.
He explained that he discovered that Ebonyi State was not being carried along in the Corporate Social Responsibility of Opay which propelled him to make strong case for the state and 20 students were granted the scholarship.
“We came to sign an MoU between AE-FUNAI and Opay for a ten-year scholarship for 20 students from Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo federal constituency.
“It will be a ten-year scholarship renewable as things goes. So, every year, we will have 20 students from the constituency in the school that will benefit from the scholarship.
“We were in oversight and I spoke with Opay and I asked them about their CSR and I realized what they are doing.
“There are other things they are doing but because of my interest in education, I told them Ebonyi was not being carried along in their CSR and everything. Each student gets N300,000 every year”, he said.
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of Opay, Mr Itoro Udo, who made this known on Thursday at the AE-FUNAI while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the organization and the university over the scholarship scheme, said the it was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
Udo said apart from the scholarship, students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University would benefit from the innovation challenge of the organization to proffer solutions that are technology-driven in order to compete with other institutions across the country.
“We are here to formally partner with AE-FUNAI to bring the Opay scholarship directly to the institution and this is not just a document we are signing today.
“We are deeply concerned about the lives of our youths and we are also deeply concerned about how technology is beginning to change and transform the narrative into this world.
“When this Opay scholarship started in 2024, it was just about giving students N300,000 each, but for something to be good, you should add something to make it better.
“So, we have gone a step further to say instead of us to just doling out N300,000 which will just serve as a grant or financial offer to students, lets add something big more to it.
“And this year, I am happy AE-FUNAI is coming at a time when we are really deepling our pockets this time around to provide beyond scholarship.
“Now, for this year, students will begin to enjoy what we call innovation challenge where they will begin to proffer solutions that are tech-driven and they will begin to compete with other institutions across the country and other great minds of UNN, UNICAL, UNIUYO, ABU, UNIMAID”, he said.
He revealed that the mobile banking app has partnered with a global tech giant and a global mobile builder for the innovation challenge program for the tertiary students.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Daniel Nwachukwu who was glad about the initiative, said the gesture was in line with his policy to offer scholarships for indigent students of the university.
He assured support for Opay to ensure that scheme succeed and lauded Hon Kama for offering quality representation to the people of his constituency. END//