Founder of Moniepoint, Tosin Eniolorunda, has launched the Future Builders Fund, a scholarship programme designed to empower high-potential but under-resourced students across Nigeria in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

According to a statement, the pilot initiative seeks to remove financial and structural barriers that prevent promising students from achieving their full potential, supporting Nigeria?s broader digital economy agenda.

The programme builds on the foundation?s previous contributions, including a CAD/CAM laboratory worth over N100 m donated to Obafemi Awolowo University, as well as support for initiatives such as the Management Students Association of the University of Lagos Entrepreneurship Challenge, the Nigenius Inter-School Robotics Competition, and the NextGen Connect Interschool Oratory Competition, collectively valued at N50m.

?Every child deserves the opportunity to become the best version of themselves, and socioeconomic barriers should not block the path to mastery and brilliance,? Eniolorunda said. ?Through the Future Builders Fund, we aim to identify and nurture the innovators who will shape Nigeria?s future. This initiative combines financial support with mentorship to give students from low-income backgrounds a fighting chance to become transformative change-makers.?

The scholarship will support 14 students, with two recipients selected from each of seven federal universities across Nigeria?s six geopolitical zones. Participating universities include Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Calabar, University of Abuja, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Maiduguri, and University of Lagos.

Scholarship recipients will receive tuition assistance, hostel accommodation, a laptop, a monthly stipend, and access to ongoing mentorship programmes designed to cultivate a solutions-oriented mindset. Eligible applicants are students entering the 200 level at the participating universities.

They are expected to submit basic bio-data, academic records, and a personal essay or statement of need. Shortlisted candidates will sit for a standardised test assessing academic ability, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The top two candidates from each university will be awarded the scholarship.

Recipients will be assessed annually, with renewal based on satisfactory academic performance and demonstrated growth in technical or leadership skills outside the classroom. The programme is part of a five-year pilot designed to combine financial support with mentorship, leadership development, and practical STEM skill application, accelerating the development of Nigeria?s next generation of world-class innovators. (PUNCH)

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