Microfinance firm to give research grants to 150 university students

Grooming Centre, a leading Microfinance Institution in Nigeria,  has concluded plans  to give research grants to 150 undergraduate and post graduate students in universities across the country. 

While announcing the grant, termed 2020 Grooming Centre University Grant Scheme, the Project Coordinator/Head of New Initiatives at Grooming Centre,  Mr Chikezie Egbulefu, said that the scheme, which is the second in the series, is designed to catalyse research and knowledge development in the areas of microfinance, rural development, inclusive finance, social enterprise, MSME and women in development in the country.

According to him, the 2020 University Grant would be awarded to 100 undergraduate and 50 post graduate students who are presently carrying out their research studies in the areas of microfinance, rural development, inclusive finance, social enterprise, MSME and or women in development.

The project, which is managed by the Center for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM), will focus on and encourage research whose findings have potential to enhance the growth of the Nigerian economy post-COVID-19 and contribute to general human development.

Explaining the requirements to qualify for consideration under the scheme, Mr Alex Ajibo, who heads a technical committee set up to operationalise the project, said that a participant should be either a student at the postgraduate or undergraduate level in Nigerian tertiary institution. 

Furthermore, he said such a student should be carrying out research on a topic that is relevant to the areas earlier listed. He explained that when the portal for submission of research works opens on September 30, 2020, the applicants should submit their entries through the company’s email: [email protected] latest October 8, 2020.

Ajibo further listed the other conditions for qualifying to apply for the award: “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 Nigeria.