For 47 Nigerian undergraduates, the gift of ₦1 million each and brand-new laptops could mean the difference between struggling to stay in school and thriving in their studies.
The students, drawn from universities across the country, became the latest beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) scholarship scheme, championed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the award ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, Mrs Tinubu said the initiative was rooted in service to humanity rather than politics. She urged students to remain focused on their studies while also developing additional skills for self-reliance.
> “This is not about politics; it is about people’s lives,” she told the beneficiaries. “You can grow and still find extra things to do without hindering your studies.”
For the recipients — pursuing disciplines from medicine and engineering to law and agriculture — the support is a critical boost at a time when many Nigerian students struggle with tuition fees, learning resources, and the rising cost of living.
Government officials also used the occasion to highlight wider efforts to support higher education. Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, noted that in the past two years the Federal Government had approved ₦10 billion in bursaries for over 12,000 students and ₦4 billion in scholarships for more than 8,000 others.
He also pointed to the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, which has disbursed about ₦100 billion to half a million students, repayable only after graduation and employment.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, described the RHI scheme as “a life-changing package” capable of nurturing talent and bridging educational gaps.
For the awardees, however, the day was less about policy and more about hope. As one beneficiary said quietly after receiving her cheque and laptop: “Now I can focus on my exams, not on how to raise my school fees.”
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
