The Atawa-Akpodiete Foundation has awarded full university scholarships to three female students in memory of the late Chief Mrs Jessie Ukamaka Onogwuwe Akpodiete, mother of the foundation’s founder, Prof. Alexander Osondu Akpodiete.
The scholarship awards, which form part of the foundation’s female empowerment initiative, will support the beneficiaries studying Business Education at Enugu State University of Science and Technology; Pharmacy at the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Kwale, Delta State; and Biochemistry at Delta State University.
Speaking on the initiative, Akpodiete said the gesture was a tribute to his late mother, whom he described as a committed educationist, philanthropist and passionate advocate of human development.
He said his mother devoted her life to educating and empowering people, adding that her exemplary life had continued to inspire his commitment to educational advancement and humanitarian service.
“My mother was a great woman, an educator and a philanthropist who empowered many people. She taught us the value of education and of giving altruistically. She was so loved that many people knew me simply as ‘Nwa Miss’—‘Miss’s child’—because of her work as a teacher,” he said.
Akpodiete recalled that his mother was among the early Nigerian women to obtain both master’s and doctoral degrees in the United States before returning to Nigeria to contribute to the country’s educational development.
He stressed the importance of educating the girl-child, describing female education as a strategic investment in the future of society.
“I truly believe in women’s empowerment. Educate a girl child, and you change a whole generation,” he added.
The latest scholarship awards, according to the foundation, represent a continuation of its interventions in the education sector, which have previously benefited secondary school students and university and polytechnic graduates.
Some previous beneficiaries have graduated from Niger Delta University, Delta State University, including its law programme, and Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.
Beyond educational assistance, the foundation has also intervened in medical emergencies, supported individuals facing financial difficulties and undertaken other community development initiatives.
To ensure accountability and protect the integrity of the programme, scholarship recipients are required to sign an undertaking committing themselves to academic discipline, regular attendance, completion of assignments and examinations, and compliance with the rules and regulations of their respective institutions.
The beneficiaries are also expected to submit their academic results and evidence of continued enrolment, while scholarship funds must be used strictly for approved educational expenses.
The foundation’s scholarship guidelines prohibit examination malpractice, fraud, illicit drug use, violence and cultism. Official institutional fee schedules and payment receipts are also required, with direct payment to the institutions preferred.
The undertaking further contains provisions on sexual conduct and pregnancy outside marriage, applicable to both male and female beneficiaries. However, it provides for confidential and compassionate consideration of personal circumstances, makes clear that pregnancy alone does not automatically terminate a scholarship, and expressly excludes sexual assault, coercion and abuse from any breach of the pledge.
Each beneficiary is required to sign the undertaking alongside a parent or guardian, while the Head of Department verifies enrolment and relevant academic records.
The foundation’s scholarship committee reviews continued assistance based on academic performance, commitment, compliance with the programme’s conditions and available funding. Beneficiaries are also given an opportunity to explain any concerns that may arise.
Asked how he has sustained the foundation’s humanitarian interventions without occupying any political appointment or elective office, Akpodiete attributed his capacity to his faith in God.
“God makes a way. He never gives a vision without making provision, even when it requires what feels like an onerous sacrifice,” he said.
Akpodiete, an educator and professional in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence governance, has a multidisciplinary background spanning technology, law and community service.
Meanwhile, the foundation has announced plans to award 30 scholarships in 2027 as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the death of its founder’s mother on July 27.
The anniversary programme, which will significantly expand the foundation’s educational intervention, will also build on its existing Skills Acquisition Centre, with a renewed commitment to education, vocational training and sustainable empowerment.
The foundation disclosed that applications for the current scholarship cycle had closed, while the next application window would open in March 2027.
The forthcoming exercise is open to male and female students across Nigeria, with particular consideration for applicants from Delta State and special recognition for candidates of Ukwuani and Urhobo descent.
