The League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) has unveiled its maiden Future Forward Scholarship Programme, awarding a total of ₦36 million annually to 36 indigent but brilliant students drawn from across Anambra State, which the group described as a strategic intervention to strengthen human capital development.
The official unveiling took place on Friday at the Secretariat Complex of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Awka, and attracted education stakeholders, professionals, journalists, parents and beneficiaries.
Under the programme, each beneficiary selected from the three senatorial zones of the state will receive ₦1 million every year, covering tuition, accommodation and monthly stipends. LAP said the scholarship is aimed at reducing financial barriers that often limit access to quality education for talented students from indigent backgrounds.
Speaking at the event, the President of the League of Anambra Professionals and Managing Director of Odenigbo FM, Sir Nnamdi Obi, said the programme was designed to support and empower students with strong academic potential, regardless of their background or location. He noted that while the Anambra State Government has made investments in education, collective efforts were still required to bridge gaps.
Sir Obi was represented by the Deputy President of LAP and Chairman of the Education Committee, Dr. Elizabeth Ifeyinwa Jibunoh, who traced the inspiration for the scholarship to a visit by the League to the Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, where the need for structured educational support was highlighted.
Dr. Jibunoh disclosed that over 300 applications were received from different parts of the state, out of which 12 students were selected from each senatorial zone, making 36 beneficiaries for the first edition. She emphasized that the programme is fully funded by members of LAP without support from government or private sector sponsors.
According to her, the scholarship is being implemented in partnership with Fidelity Bank, which will manage beneficiaries’ stipends through dedicated bank accounts to promote financial discipline and literacy.
She further revealed that the initiative goes beyond financial assistance, as it includes mentorship and mindset development programmes. “We want to expose these students to leadership training, skills acquisition, internships, innovation and enterprise, with the goal of producing graduates who can compete globally,” she said.
Commending the initiative, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD, said the Union offered its hall free of charge because of the credibility and changing potential of the programme.
Delivering a charge to the beneficiaries, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of LAP and member of the Education Committee, Kasie Abone, warned that the scholarship would be withdrawn from any beneficiary involved in poor academic performance, misconduct, cultism or actions capable of bringing disrepute to the League.
Also speaking, Dr. Ngozi Achike, who joined the event from the United States, praised the transparent selection process and urged beneficiaries to build confidence, character and clarity of purpose, noting that intellectual brilliance must be complemented by strong values.
Some beneficiaries, including Victory Ndibuisi and Chioma Ekwueme, described the scholarship as changing, while parents expressed gratitude to LAP for remembering indigent families. The event ended with the presentation of dummy cheques to the beneficiaries, marking the formal take off of the LAP Future Forward Scholarship Programme, which the League said would be expanded in subsequent years.
