The United States Government has awarded full scholarships to 30 outstanding Nigerian students.

The students, according the Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja, are to study in the United States and other countries under the Education USA Opportunity Funds Programmes.

The Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer, Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja, Ms. Malia Heroux, while speaking during the pre-departure orientation for the students, said 35 students submitted application, but 30 succeeded in the process.

She added that the students were selected around schools in Nigeria as a result of their academic excellence.

Heroux also said the students displayed leadership potential, ethos of giving back to community, extra-curricular achievements and talents.

Heroux further said out of the 30, 27 will be studying in the United States, while three out of the 30 students received Mastercard to Ghana.

“They are students who are incredibly high-achieving academically, but come from backgrounds which are not economically conducive to paying for school fees.

They are also “students who are also leaders in their communities. They really want to make a difference in their communities and students who are all-rounder. They do a variety of different things, like prefect heads.

“Academically, Education USA has over 400 advising centres in different countries and we have a larger number of advising in Nigeria because we have such a rich body of created and talented people.

“The funding comes from the school themselves. This is why we like to work with the students to identify not only what programmes they want to study, but universities that offer such programmes, universities that are in a financial position to provide for scholarships.

“So, the embassy only pays for opportunity students, pay for some of the small fees, the standardised testing, airline tickets.

“We have 30 students who are benefiting from the Education USA opportunities funds grants programme.

“We work with many more students throughout the year whose parents can either fund or who are seeking partial scholarship,” Heroux said.

Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Abraham Ojodomo, expressed gratitude to the United States for the opportunity.

He said the scholarship had a benefit of $76,000 to study Computer Science at Franklin and Marshal College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Ojodomo assured that after studying in the United States, he would return to Nigeria and establish an IT school in a rural community so that the less privileged and intelligent students will be given a chance to study and achieve their dreams. (The Sun)

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