Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and African Union Development Agency (AUDA), formerly New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), is set to give scholarship to 200 Nigerian students at African School of Economics (ASE).
A statement by her spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi, said this was announced during a visit of NEPAD’s National Coordinator, Gloria Akobundu, and Director of Communications at ASE, Obinna Obiwulu, to First Lady in Abuja.
Hailing the partnership, Senator Tinubu described the scholarship as opportunity Nigerian students need to have entrepreneurial education.
She noted many youths wait for white collar jobs after tertiary education only to discover such jobs are unvailable.
“In the developed world, if you are not innovative, you will become jobless. So, to have a school where entrepreneurship is being driven is well thought out and commendable of the founder of Princeton University,” she said.
Akobundu noted NEPAD partnership focuses on sectors, in line with its objectives to drive women empowerment.
She said NEPAD is known for partnering public and private sectors for governance, development and economic growth.
These, she noted, are parts of the focus that attracted the agency to work with RHI.
According to her, NEPAD was a pledge by African leaders based on a common vision to eradicate poverty.
“In line with our mandate, AUDA-NEPAD, in partnership with ASE on development, economic and resource mobilisation, is offering scholarships to 200 children, captioned: Senator Remi Tinubu’s Scholarship Fund, in partnership with Renewed Hope Initiative.
“The project is designed to provide access to the highest global standards of tertiary education to young Nigerians,” Akobundu said.
Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Malagi, has said information on activities and intervention by the initiative will enjoy wider coverage.
The move, he said, is meant to capture more women and vulnerable groups targeted by the initiative.
He announced this when he visited the First Lady in Abuja.
Malagi noted RHI’s programmes complement the agenda of President Bola Tinubu and deserve support.