No fewer than 100 Nigerian undergraduates studying Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and other ICT-related courses enjoy scholarships from Airtel Africa Foundation.
The chairman of the organisation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, informed journalists recently that this is an initiative under the Undergraduate Tech Scholarship Programme.
Airtel Africa Foundation will provide each recipient with a grant covering tuition, accommodation, study materials, and a stipend from the first year of study through the final year.
This financial aid, according to him, removes economic barriers, empowering students to dedicate their focus to academic and technical achievement in technology.
Beneficiaries are selected from 100-level students enrolled in approved programmes in participating public universities across the country.
These institutions include the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), and Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED).
The undergraduate scholarship is a direct component of the Foundation’s four strategic pillars of Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Protection, and Digital Inclusion (FEED).
“At Airtel Africa Foundation, our vision has always been to create opportunities where talent meets ambition. With this scholarship, we are investing in Nigeria’s future tech leaders, giving them the resources and confidence to thrive in an increasingly digital world,” Mr Ogunsanya stated.
On his part, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, said, “The prioritization of education as a pillar of our social investments becomes much stronger with these 100 new scholarships.
“They build on such other initiatives as our partnership with UNICEF on the Reimagine Education Programme, our Adopt-A-School project, and our 1 billion naira investment in the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) effort of the Federal Government. Ultimately, for us as an organisation, the best way to equip the future is to arm it with cutting-edge education.”