Forty-seven students from tertiary institutions across Nigeria have received a combined package of N47 million and 47 laptops under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a scholarship and empowerment programme championed by the Office of the First Lady.
The beneficiaries, drawn from diverse academic disciplines including Medicine, Law, Engineering, Education, Sciences, and the Humanities, were selected based on merit and academic performance. Among them are five students in their final year, 39 in their penultimate year, two in their second year, and one pursuing a National Diploma. Each awardee will receive one million naira annually in addition to a brand-new laptop.
Speaking at the award ceremony held at the State House in Abuja, the First Lady said the scholarship was a long-term project aimed at changing lives and giving young people opportunities beyond politics. She urged the recipients to see the support as a stepping stone to greater achievements, encouraging them to combine their academic pursuits with additional productive ventures.
The Minister of Education commended the RHI programme for complementing government’s wider investments in education. He noted that the administration has already disbursed bursaries and scholarships worth more than N14 billion to students in strategic fields such as Medicine and Education over the last two years. He further highlighted the impact of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has supported over half a million students with approximately N100 billion in educational loans. According to him, repayment of these loans only begins after graduation, completion of the NYSC programme, and employment, with a cap of 10 percent of monthly salaries.
RHI’s National Secretary, the wife of Imo State governor, explained that the beneficiaries were required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to qualify. She pointed out that this batch of 47 students follows earlier groups supported in 2023 and 2024, noting that the initiative is building a growing network of young Nigerians equipped with financial and technological tools to succeed.
Other stakeholders described the scholarship as a life-changing package designed to nurture talent and bridge educational gaps across the country. They emphasized that equipping students with both financial aid and digital resources like laptops was crucial in preparing them for the demands of today’s economy, particularly as Nigeria pushes toward greater digital integration.
Dignitaries present at the event included the wives of top government officials, state governors, and leaders of women’s advocacy groups, all of whom underscored the importance of sustained investments in education to secure Nigeria’s future.
With a rising youth population and growing pressure on the education sector, the Renewed Hope Initiative is positioning itself as both a support system for talented students and a model for how public-private collaborations can open doors of opportunity for the next generation.
