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Student calls senator's ₦200,000 grant 'uncommon' as senator vows no one will quit school over poverty
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Good News

Student calls senator's ₦200,000 grant 'uncommon' as senator vows no one will quit school over poverty

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Abia State University student Godswill Ezennwa expressed disbelief and gratitude upon receiving a ₦200,000 education grant from Senator Austin Akobundu.
  • Ezennwa was among over 200 students from Abia Central Senatorial District who benefited from the senator's education support initiative, which also includes scholarships for 113 National Teachers' Institute students.
  • Senator Akobundu emphasized that no student should abandon higher education due to poverty and highlighted his commitment to human capital development through various empowerment programs.

Godswill Ezennwa, a 400-level Medicine and Surgery student at Abia State University (ABSU), described the education grant program initiated by Senator Austin Akobundu as "uncommon" after receiving an immediate ₦200,000 bank alert. Ezennwa was one of over 200 students from the Abia Central Senatorial District to benefit from the senator's educational support initiative.

I thought this was just a scam, but I’m very, very proud to see now that it’s real. I have just received an alert of ₦200,000. I now know it’s for real, and I will always appreciate this uncommon gesture.

— Godswill EzennwaA 400-level Medicine and Surgery student of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, describing his reaction to receiving an education grant.

Initially skeptical, Ezennwa confessed, "I thought this was just a scam, but I’m very, very proud to see now that it’s real." He pledged to encourage other eligible students to apply for similar opportunities. The program also provides full three-year scholarships for 113 students enrolled in the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI).

No child in Abia Central should drop out of school because of poverty. Not while I am your senator.

— Senator Austin AkobunduSenator Austin Akobundu speaking during the presentation ceremony of his education support initiative.

During the presentation ceremony in Umuahia, Senator Akobundu declared, "No child in Abia Central should drop out of school because of poverty. Not while I am your senator." He explained that the education grants complement his ongoing scholarship program for NTI students, who are nearing the end of their teacher training.

Education is the bedrock of every human endeavour. It builds capacity and empowers people to become employers of labour. That is why I intentionally focused on human capital development.

— Senator Austin AkobunduSenator Austin Akobundu explaining his focus on human capital development.

Akobundu, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also detailed his office's broader empowerment efforts. These include vocational training for hundreds of women and youths in areas like tailoring and farming, equipping 400 secondary school students with skills in robotics and AI, and training 360 youths in digital skills. He stressed the importance of education as the most sustainable form of empowerment, stating, "Education is the bedrock of every human endeavor. It builds capacity and empowers people to become employers of labour."

I stayed to the very last. Our party ran into a storm. I had to make a choice, and I chose the ADC.

— Senator Austin AkobunduSenator Austin Akobundu explaining his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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