About 460 students benefited from the 2022 Dangote Scholarship Award Programme in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, on Wednesday.
The Executive Director, Dangote Group, Mr Edwin Devakumar, said 443 secondary schools and 17 tertiary institutions benefited from the scholarship programme aimed at improving the quality of education in Ibeju-Lekki communities.
According to Devakumar, Dangote believes that education is the passport to the future and investing in the students will pay off as they pursue their education and make positive impact in the world.
“We have, therefore, committed to support education by instituting the scholarship award programme.
“We also commenced the training of youths to achieve the City & Guilds certificate of London in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering levels one, two and three,” he said.
The director said in 2019, the group executed a pilot of the scholarship programme where 51 secondary school students from the 15 host communities in Ibeju Lekki were awarded the scholarship.
“However, we did not hold the second edition in 2020 due to the incidence of COVID-19 and its associated effects not only on businesses but on every household.
“In 2021, 118 secondary school students and 19 students of tertiary institutions from our host communities were awarded the scholarship.
“In 2022, after a rigorous screening process, 443 secondary school students and 17 students of tertiary institutions are qualified for the scholarship,” he said.
Devakumar congratulated and recognised the hard work and dedication of the recipients of the scholarship, urging them to put in their best and make good use of the opportunity.
“Your achievements are a testament to your determination, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, and we are honoured to celebrate your success with you today.
“As you continue your academic pursuit, I encourage you to make the most of your opportunities and to always strive for excellence.
“Remember that your education is a gift, and it is up to you to make the most of it by taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow,” he said.
The director thanked the School Authority, the Community Development Committee and the Social Performance team, who had continued to monitor the performance of the students.
“Your dedication to their academic and personal growth has been invaluable, and we are proud to have you as part of our community.
“With the continuous support of the people and the Lagos State government, we shall not relent in our efforts to be socially accountable while we positively impact our host communities.
“We look forward to a continuous peaceful and rewarding relationship with our host communities in Ibeju Lekki,” Devakumar said.
Also, the Traditional Ruler of Lekki, Onilekki of Lekki Land, Oba Liasim Ogunbekun said the programme was a blessing to the community and gave kudos to the Dangote Group.
“We appreciate Dangote Group because this is not their first time but their third scholarship edition to the host communities in Ibeju Lekki.
“I urge the beneficiaries to put in more effort in their academic pursuit and justify the amount being paid for the scholarship.
“We thank the Dangote Group because a lot of improvements have been recorded in the lives of the participants,” Ogunbekun said.
One of the beneficiaries of the City & Guilds Engineering Training Programme, Raheem Olukayode, thanked Dangote Group for the opportunity to study, become an engineer and impact positively on the society.
“The training has been beneficial because it supports the less privilege, who are interested in furthering their education and their dreams in spite of financial challenges.
“The programme is simply going to positively affect the development of Ibeju-Lekki in future because we are going to have more engineers emerging from this area.
“We were told that after level three training, the best of us will be given job opportunity to work with Dangote Group, so we are encouraged to give our best to win the slot,” Olukayode said.
Also, the Head Girl of Community Senior High School, Miss Magbon Segun, Ibeju Lekki, and Sano Omolere, a student, said the scholarship had assisted their parents in supporting their education.
“For instance, some students have relented in their effort to further their education because of lack of money.
“However, this scholarship has supported our parents to provide us with school fees and books that have encouraged a lot of us to do better in class,” the head girl said.
(NAN)
