Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, River State awarded postgraduate scholarships to eleven (11) Nigerians to pursue Masters’ degrees in leading universities in the United Kingdom (UK).
NLNG offers post-primary, undergraduate, and postgraduate scholarships to students in her host communities and across the country. The Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme was launched to grow a pool of dedicated professionals to bridge specialist skills gaps, in line with the Company’s vision of helping to build a better Nigeria. The scholarship is fully funded and administered by NLNG.
Speaking at the event, Eyono Fatayi-Williams, General Manager External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, in her keynote address, remarked that the Postgraduate scholarship scheme was designed as part of NLNG’s Social Investment in education.
In her charge to the awardees, she also stated that “As a global LNG company determined to constantly improve its local community, its business and the country at large, through human capital development, NLNG is offering you this opportunity as an investment in you trusting that when you graduate and return to our country, you’ll contribute to the development and advancement of our nation.”
Also present at the event was Godson Dienye, Manager, Community Relations and Sustainable Development. In his speech, he stated that since its inception, Nigeria LNG, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has made education a key focus of its human development pursuits.
He stated that the postgraduate scholarship scheme was “one of the most outstanding of our scholarship schemes because of its important role in national development. The importance of research in the development of any company or country cannot be overemphasized. And the level of education that offers the window into research is unarguably the postgraduate level of education.”
The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, and travel and is valued at around GBP30,000 for each scholar.
Particular focus is given to select professional courses, which include Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Studies, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law, and Medicine, all at Masters degree level. A total of 89 Nigerian students have been awarded postgraduate scholarships since the programme started in 2013.
The NLNG Scholarships Scheme is one of NLNG’s interventions in education. NLNG built and equipped the Bonny Vocational Center (BVC), which helps to bridge the gap in technical education in the country. To date, BVC has trained over 400 Nigerians in a range of vocational and related occupational skill-sets.
A statement issued by Sophia Horsfall, Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs explained that the Company also funds the NLNG Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES). Over 1,200 youths from Rivers State are participating in different short-term entrepreneurial skills in 2021.
