The MTN Foundation said it has expended the sun of N3 billion on scholarships for indigent students who are science-based in the last ten years.
It said the scholarship is for students studying full-time science and technology-related courses as well as blind students studying any discipline in public tertiary institutions including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
A Director, MTN Foundation, Reginald Okaeh, disclosed this during an award ceremony for the incoming 300 MTN scholars in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Okaeh stated that the gesture was part of the corporate social Investment of the Telecommunication’s giant.
He stated, “What you witnessed today is one of our projects and it has been ongoing for the past 10 years. It is a project that is targeted towards helping families that cannot afford tuition for their wards.
“Is our own way of giving back to the society. Is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility.
“So, every year as a foundation, we set out certain amount of money for scholarships both for the blind and other students.
“For this one, we have them in batches. This batch has about 300 beneficiaries. It is mainly for science students, for normal and disabled students.”
He said the project is outsourced to a consultant who conducts the selection process, including written examination, shortlists qualified students before handing them over to the foundation.
“What we give to the beneficiaries is N200, 000 per person every semester until you graduate.
But if drop in your grades we won’t continue with you. The grade is 3.5 grade point. So far since inception, we have spent about N3billion., “the Director explained.
In his remarks, Regional General Manager for MTN, South-South ThankGod Otokpa, urged the beneficiaries to outdo themselves to bring out the best in them.
He stated, “In MTN we believe in outdoing ourselves, be the best version of who you can be.
“What MTN has given to them is a seed, hopefully, a seed sowed on a fertile ground and we believe in them, we believe in what they will become”
In attendance at the event were representatives from the Rivers State Government and heads of some tertiary institutions across the country.
