127 Nigerians will receive coveted Chevening and Commonwealth UK scholarships from the British government in 2023 to pursue a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs.
This information was released to the media on Wednesday by Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, British High Commission.
At the ceremony held for the recipients in Abuja, Dr Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner, was present. He praised and thanked the recipients for the work they put forth to obtain the honours.
"Seeing you all here is a great testimony to hard work, perseverance, and resilience through a highly competitive process," Montgomery said in his speech at the celebration.
“I challenge each of you to aim for excellence in your studies, to be great ambassadors for Nigeria in the UK, and to take advantage of every opportunity during your scholarship – through growing your knowledge, enriching cultural exchange, and confident networking – and then bringing those experiences back to Nigeria and doing great things for your country while creating a positive change in this country and the world.”
Michael Oyedoyin, a Commonwealth Scholar who will study Family and Child Psychology at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom, commented on the scholarship, saying: “I have always loved to teach, and my first degree is in Teacher Education. However, while teaching in schools, I observed that family issues were often the underlying cause of students’ poor academic performance and absence from school. Therefore, I chose this master’s to equip me to support my students beyond the classroom.”
Scholarships such as the Chevening and Commonwealth are given to people who have intellectual aptitude, leadership potential, and a desire to see their home nation develop.
44 Nigerian students have been given fully financed scholarships by the Chevening Scholarship, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, to study for one year for a master's degree in the UK. From a pool of more than 14,000 applicants in Nigeria and more than 62,000 applications worldwide, the beneficiaries were chosen. The Chevening fellowship has benefited almost 1,500 alumni in Nigeria.
83 scholars are being sent to the UK to study as part of the Commonwealth Scholarship this year. More than 100 Nigerian students receive postgraduate and PhD scholarships each year. Since its beginning, the Commonwealth program has influenced more than 2500 graduates in Nigeria.
