The Adada Education Foundation has awarded scholarships to 50 students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), covering their tuition fees until graduation.
The scholarship presentation took place on Thursday, 24 September, at the Princess Alexandra Hall, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as part of activities marking the second anniversary of the foundation.
The beneficiaries were selected from 148 applicants who responded to the foundation’s scholarship advertisement, with the selection process designed to identify deserving students from the Nsukka Cultural Zone.
Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Onu, said the initiative was established to support young people who have the ambition to pursue higher education but lack the financial resources to do so.
He explained that the foundation’s activities were technically driven, adding that the scholarship beneficiaries were selected through an application process rather than through personal recommendations.
Onu further stated that the foundation would not give the beneficiaries cash directly, noting that approved payments would be made to the university to cover their educational obligations.
He said the initiative was aimed at promoting education, developing human capital and creating opportunities for young people in the Nsukka Cultural Zone.
In his anniversary address, the Executive Secretary of the foundation, Rev. Fr. Dr. Chidubem Nwaogaidu, said the scholarship programme was a practical expression of the foundation’s commitment to ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent young people from pursuing higher education.
Nwaogaidu said the foundation was established on the conviction that every young person should have an opportunity to develop his or her potential regardless of financial circumstances.
He acknowledged the contributions of the founder, the Board of Trustees and other supporters of the foundation, describing the scholarship programme as the product of a collective commitment to education and human-capital development.
Addressing the beneficiaries, he urged them to take their studies seriously and combine academic excellence with discipline, integrity and intellectual curiosity.
He also encouraged them to see the scholarship as both an opportunity and a responsibility, stressing that they were expected to eventually contribute to the development of their communities and create opportunities for others.
Delivering the paper, titled “The Role of Adada Education Foundation (AEF) on Human Resource Development of the Nsukka Cultural Zone,” the Dean/Director of ESUT Business School, Prof. Fred O. Eze, described the initiative as an investment whose impact would become more evident over the years.
Eze said human capital remained the foundation of societal development and prosperity, stressing that developing it required resources, patience and sustained commitment.
He commended the founder for establishing the foundation as an institution intended to outlive individuals and serve generations of people in the Nsukka Cultural Zone.
Eze also shared aspects of his personal experience growing up in an indigent family and receiving support that enabled him to pursue postgraduate education, using the experience to illustrate the transformative effect of educational assistance.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Osy Okanya, an erudite Professor of Political Science, described the scholarship as an investment in human capacity, personal dignity, social mobility and the future of the Nsukka Cultural Zone.
Okanya urged the beneficiaries to regard the scholarship as a vote of confidence in their abilities and justify the investment through hard work, discipline, integrity and academic excellence.
He said the ultimate success of a scholarship programme should not be measured only by the number of students supported, but also by the number of lives those beneficiaries would subsequently touch and transform.
The event, which attracted prominent academics, including professors and other members of the University of Nigeria community, also featured reflections on the importance of education and sustained investment in human-capital development.
The Adada Education Foundation was established on September 24, 2024, with a focus on promoting education and supporting young people within the Nsukka Cultural Zone who face financial barriers to higher education.
The foundation said it hopes to sustain and expand the scholarship initiative as part of its broader contribution to educational development and human-capital growth in the region.