By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The first batch of Nigerian undergraduates to enjoy fully paid scholarships for studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses across the continent has been chosen by Airtel Africa Foundation.

Business Post gathered that 70 students from universities across Nigeria were selected from thousands of applicants through an independently managed process, which took nearly six months.

It was learned that most of the undergraduates were from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria), and the University of Nigeria (UNN).

The scholarship covers tuition, laptop computers, living expenses, and essential learning resources, a statement from Airtel Africa Foundation disclosed.

The chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, speaking at the presentation of the scholarships to the beneficiaries at the Lagos headquarters of Airtel Nigeria, emphasised the need for initiatives such as the Airtel Africa Foundation’s undergraduate tech scholarship for the future of the continent.

“True legacy is not measured by the awards we win or the volume of SIM cards we sell; it is measured by the lives we save, the people we feed, and the students we support when the line between success and failure is at its thinnest.

“At the Airtel Africa Foundation, we believe that lifting people out of poverty is the ultimate benchmark of a great company. Today, we are writing that legacy by tilting the balance in favour of the brilliant but underserved, ensuring that the fourth industrial revolution, driven by AI and Data Science, is built by African talent for the African continent,” he stated.

Mr Ogunsanya further revealed that this fellowship, executed through Airtel Nigeria, is designed to bridge the gap where funding, skills, and opportunity often fail to meet.

In addition to the N500,000 yearly budget for the fellows’ four-year or five-year courses, each fellow would be integrated into a structured support system for academic guidance and career mentorship, intended to ultimately transition students from the classroom to the global tech workforce.

Addressing the students, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, stressed that youth development is a strategic imperative for Airtel.

“At Airtel Nigeria, we view youth development as essential nation-building. When young people succeed, innovation accelerates, and social stability improves.

“By connecting these brilliant scholars to knowledge, skills, and confidence, we are fulfilling our core mission to connect people to opportunity. To our recipients: you earned your place here through merit and discipline. You are now ambassadors of excellence, and we expect your leadership to be defined by your conduct as you help shape a more inclusive digital future for Nigeria,” the Airtel Nigeria chief said.

The Nigerian cohort joins a prestigious network of Airtel Africa Foundation fellows currently studying in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and India.

The initiative underscores a broader commitment to technology education, youth development, and Nigeria’s digital economy.

By Dr Austin Orette

I am in receipt of a letter that asked parents to pay for an excursion to England. I was very perturbed because this goes beyond the mandate of the school. These kids barely know the geography of Nigeria, and you want to export them to another culture for indoctrination and cultural imperialism.

What is London for the Nigerian child? Are we still under colonialism? This program has nothing to improve the child except to give them a false sense of elitism, which has destroyed Nigeria.

In these tough economic times, you are asking parents to cough up so much money for the vanity project of indulgent children and nouveaux rich parents who want a vicarious existence through their children. I weep for my country.

Nigeria used to be a place where children of the rich and poor went to the same school without anyone being subjected to any form of alienation. It is becoming very clear that the Nigerian educational system has been bastardised by actions like these.

We send our children to learn and have a better understanding of themselves and the world, but you are teaching them a sense of entitlement. As someone who has travelled around the world, there is nothing any of those kids will gain from this stupid enterprise other than egotism that alienates them from their mates. Even if I can afford it, it does not make any economic sense. I will never participate in this hubris you mistake for education. It appears your school has substituted foreign cultures for education.

Teach the Nigerian child how to be Nigerian. Education is supposed to start at home. It appears a large percentage of the parents are people who came into so much money without a modicum of common sense. This is the reason why they consider it a thing of dignity when their child is being culturally miseducated. This trend, where everything foreign is romanticized must stop. We should never raise our children to feel inferior to anyone.

The moral decadence that has become prevalent in Nigeria is due to the wrong education of the Nigerian child and his parents. They employ maids for their children; drive them to school in expensive limousines. At the end, the child grows up entitled and does not have any sense of service or allegiance to his community, as he is trained from childhood that the world owes him a living.

We must teach our children how to serve. Service to others is the rent we pay for the space we occupy. If parents must take their children overseas, that should be done in their private time, not under the pretext of education.

A good education will be an excursion to the numerous slums in Lagos, and let the children produce an assignment about creating sustainable neighbourhoods that are livable.

If you don’t stop this practice, I will make a formal protest to the Ministry of Education and your school and other schools that are introducing this odious culture should be sanctioned.

The Nigerian child must be trained to think instead of making him a consumer of foreign cultures that have disdain for our way of life.

I used to complain about wayward parents who have destroyed Nigeria until I found out that the Nigerian schools are becoming incubating chambers for producing wayward and dysfunctional children who will perpetuate the vicious cycle in the Nigerian decay. 

Dr Austin Orette Writes from Houston, Texas

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has unlocked $552 million under the HOPE-EDU programme to fast-track reforms in the country’s basic education sector, in what has been described as the fastest activation of education financing of such scale in the nation’s history.

The HOPE-EDU initiative, HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All, is co-financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education. It is structured as a results-driven intervention targeting improved learning outcomes, equitable access to education and stronger institutional capacity at the state level.

The funding, secured through the Federal Ministry of Education, is aimed at strengthening foundational learning, expanding access to quality basic education and reinforcing accountability systems across participating states.

The Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, said the milestone reflects the administration’s determination to reposition education as a pillar of national development under President Bola Tinubu.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, on Tuesday.

“The unlocking of the $552 million HOPE-EDU funding in just 12 months represents the fastest activation of education financing of this scale in our history. It reflects clarity of vision, strong intergovernmental coordination, and our unwavering commitment to delivering measurable results for Nigerian children,” the Minister stated.

“Under the leadership of President Tinubu, we are demonstrating that reform can be decisive, accountable, and impactful. These resources will directly strengthen foundational learning, expand access, and reinforce system-wide accountability across participating states,” the statement added.

HOPE-EDU aligns with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), a broader reform framework focused on transparency, measurable performance and sector-wide transformation.

The programme also complements other pillars of the reform agenda, including HOPE-Governance and HOPE-Primary Health Care, which seek to address systemic challenges in public financial management, service delivery and policy coordination in key social sectors.

The development comes amid increased budgetary commitment to education. Since 2022, federal allocation to the sector has risen by over 302 per cent, according to the ministry.

In the 2026 fiscal year, the government earmarked N3.520 trillion for education, the highest allocation to date, alongside increased sub-national funding to support state-level priorities and targeted interventions.

The ministry said the latest funding injection is expected to translate into tangible gains in foundational literacy and numeracy, teacher effectiveness, equitable school access and strengthened accountability mechanisms.