Senator Umeh Awards ₦64m Scholarships to 326 Students, Says 2,320 Graduates Have Benefited Since 1999

By Fatima Saka

Senator Victor Umeh has increased his education scholarship grants to ₦64 million for 326 indigent students in Anambra Central, bringing the total number of graduates produced by the scheme to 2,320 since its establishment in 1999.

The latest beneficiaries, comprising undergraduates and postgraduates of higher institutions, received their grants through the Senator Victor Umeh Education Foundation, with funds transferred directly into their bank accounts by Fidelity Bank officials at the award ceremony.

Speaking at the event, former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, commended Umeh for prioritising education and investing in the future of young people.

Obi, who presented a specimen Fidelity Bank cheque to the beneficiaries, said the scholarship initiative demonstrated the importance of investing in children’s education, rather than concentrating on other forms of empowerment.

He described education as a fundamental tool for national development, noting that it breaks barriers and creates opportunities for individuals to achieve their aspirations.

According to him, education gives people access to opportunities and enables them to interact with individuals they once regarded as role models.

Obi contrasted Umeh’s intervention with what he described as the failure of some present-day leaders to adequately invest in the future of children.

In his remarks, Umeh explained that the scholarship programme was established without political considerations, recalling that the idea originated about 27 years ago when 10 people approached him for financial assistance to support their children’s education.

He said the initiative had since expanded, producing 2,320 graduates who had gone on to become medical doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, nurses and professionals in other fields.

The senator described the scholarship as his own form of youth empowerment, arguing that education remained a sustainable means of liberating people from ignorance and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to national development.

He also disclosed that the programme, which initially relied on his personal resources, had expanded to accommodate constituency project allocations to support free education for young people.

Umeh said he drew inspiration from Obi’s personal interventions in education, particularly his support for educational infrastructure and the welfare of teaching and non-teaching staff across different institutions.

Earlier, the Director-General of the foundation, Rev. Fr. Val Uzoezie, disclosed that ₦37 million was disbursed as scholarship grants to students in 2024, while the allocation increased to ₦64 million for the 326 beneficiaries in the current exercise.

Uzoezie, who spoke through the Secretary-General of the foundation, Sir Maurice Anetoh, said the selection process was transparent, with beneficiaries nominated from the 58 communities in Anambra Central Senatorial District.

He explained that two students were nominated from each community, while other beneficiaries were selected through stakeholders, including members of the clergy, to make up the total number.

The ceremony also featured testimonies from beneficiaries, including Mrs. Nnajide Nma, a first-class nursing graduate of Millennium School of Nursing, who said the scholarship had significantly improved her family’s circumstances.

Nma, who was pregnant during the previous year’s scholarship exercise, disclosed that she named her son Victor in appreciation of the senator’s intervention.

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Her mother, Mrs. Nnajidenma, described Umeh as God-sent and prayed for his continued good health and strength to sustain his support for disadvantaged members of society.

The beneficiaries expressed excitement as Fidelity Bank officials completed the direct transfers, with several recipients confirming receipt of the funds at the venue.