BY SOLOMON OKPO
The Nsit Ubium Local Government Council in Akwa Ibom State has unveiled a N100 million education fund aimed at supporting indigent students through an expanded scholarship scheme.
The initiative, which underscores the council’s commitment to human capital development, will see the number of scholarship beneficiaries increase from 53 to 103.
Officials of the council said the fund was established to ease the financial burden on underprivileged families while encouraging academic excellence among students in the area. The expansion of the scholarship programme, they noted, reflects a deliberate effort to broaden access to quality education and reduce dropout rates linked to economic hardship.
According to the council leadership, the intervention is part of a broader strategy to invest in education as a catalyst for sustainable development, stressing that empowering young people through learning remains a priority.
Stakeholders in the education sector have welcomed the move, describing it as timely and impactful, particularly in the face of rising educational costs.
They expressed optimism that the fund would significantly improve opportunities for talented but financially constrained students to pursue their academic ambitions.
The council further assured that transparent processes would guide the selection of beneficiaries to ensure that the programme reaches those most in need.
The N100 million fund is expected to be disbursed in phases, with beneficiaries drawn from across the local government area.
