Grooming centre scholarship for students in tertiary

By Gabriel Dike

The management of Grooming Centre has kick-started the 2024 annual scholarship grant to students in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

The scholarship grant, which started in 2019, is targeted at 150 undergraduates and postgraduates in public and private universities and polytechnics accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Announcing the commencement of the scholarship, the head of special projects, Grooming Centre, Mr. Chikezie Egbulefu, reiterated the management’s commitment to contribute toward educational development and poverty alleviation by leading research, knowledge development and management in the country.

According to him, the centre empowers students by providing financial assistance and incentives at various levels of education for the realization of their aspirations.

He explained that the commitment has also led to the establishment and approval by the NUC of Amadeus University in Amizi, Abia State, which would start admission of students in September 2024.

The head of special projects communicated the chief executive officer’s concern that though the centre has in the past five years made available funds for 150 postgraduate and undergraduate students to benefit each year, the actual number of winners fell short of the target number every year.

Egbulefu, who was flanked by Amara Olebunne of Grooming Centre, Mr. Alex Ajigbo, chairman of the technical committee of the scholarship, Dr. Abraham Okpe, a member of TCD, and Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, member, Governing Council and the chief operating officer of CREM, Mr. Clifford Onyeike, disclosed that Grooming Centre has spent about N200 million on the scholarship scheme.

He gave a breakdown of the scholarship awarded since five year to both undergraduates and postgraduates to include 25 in 2019, 2020, 41, 2021, 64, 2022, 120 and in 2023, 149 received grant from the centre.

Chairman, Technical Committee of the scholarship grant, Mr. Alex Ajigbo, said apart from the focus areas where research proposals were expected, some other criteria formed basis for the consideration of submitted proposals.

Ajigbo explained that the focus of the research study must be relevant to the Nigerian context, practical, innovative and should be capable of promoting any of the above areas of interest, in the Nigerian space, the research must show a high level of originality, imaginative thought and be data inclusive.

Other criteria he listed include that the applicant must be a student at an NUC/ NBTE approved Nigeria university or polytechnic, the student must submit a written recommendation from his/her project supervisor.

‘The applicant must submit a research concept of between 10-25 pages, which will include an introduction, a literature review, and research methodology along with candidate’s personal profile. The candidate will also submit a final soft copy of the research project on completion of the study,’’ he stated.

Ajigbo revealed that the Grooming Centre university grant scheme’s intervention in tertiary research has awarded prizes to 393 students in the different tertiary institutions since 2019.

Jonathan-Ichaver, who declared open the 2024 application for the scholarship, said it would close in September 20, adding, “the scheme is evolving. We are gathering knowledge from the students.’’

She said in the last four years, the focus has been on research proposal and that now Grooming Centre is interested the out come of the research.

The Chief Operating Officer of CREM, Mr. Onyeike, said next year the centre would carry impact analysis of the entire scholarship scheme.

He revealed that the centre has expanded the channels to reach more students and that CREM officials visited some institutions.