Lagos, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA) –In a collaborative effort with Lumina Educational and Empowerment Foundation (Lumina), African Technology & Innovation Institutes (ATII) has awarded scholarships to ten deserving pupils from Bridge International Academy, Lagos, through its Junior Scholars Program.
The scholarship will cover the educational expenses of the beneficiaries from primary school to tertiary education, fostering their academic growth and development.
According to a statement sent to VONa, the Junior Scholars Program is an offshoot of ATII’s Innovation, Leaders, Fellowship & Scholars Program that aims to empower and cater to the welfare of students aged 3-12 years from underprivileged and low-income communities by partnering with other organisations to provide scholarships for these rough diamonds.
The Founder of ATII, Prof. Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua represented by Mr Sunday Awolowo, ATII’s Programs Manager, praised the students for their “outstanding academic excellence” and their “resolve to continue to improve in their academic pursuits, especially in the STEM fields.”
He said, “We hope that the scholarships will continue to encourage you to do great work to pursue STEM. We hope one day in the future you all will be inspired to be an Engineer, a technologist, a mathematician or scientist.”
He also said the program is designed to encourage and support students who are interested in pursuing careers in these fields.
Manager of Academics at Bridge International Academy, Mrs Ezinne Tochie-Asogwa expressed her appreciation to ATII.
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She said, “On behalf of the management and staff of Bridge International Academy, we appreciate the kind gesture of ATII.”
The statement noted that ATII scholarship also provides STEM-based back-to-school kits and other Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) materials to spark their desire for education and to contribute to their communities in STEM-related fields.
It further highlighted the importance of the tech institute adding that ATII is passionate about the next generation of leaders and individuals who will change the world, pursuing its mission to promote African and Indigenous Technologies, while supporting human capital development in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Noting that the ATII scholarships will provide financial assistance to the students as they continue their education in STEM fields, the statement said the program will also provide mentorship and support from ATII professionals.
The statement explained that ATII is an organisation that serves as a knowledge transfer hub and technological research support centre for Africa.
“ATII provides support for policy-relevant and needs-based research and development in focused areas that directly affect African environments. These areas include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Clean Technology, Energy, Climate Resiliency, Digitalisation, Internet of things and Robotic, Education Healthcare, Clean Water Access, Agriculture and Women Empowerment.
“ATII works to identify and/or develop appropriate technology solutions that provide sustainable innovative solutions through co-creation and collaboration in line with African priorities and needs. By harnessing innovative technology for solving African problems, the Institute seeks to fund and support African researchers, disrupt the research ecosystem and act as a knowledge transfer catalyst between Africa and the world.
“The Institute is headquartered in California, USA with branch offices in Cross River State and Abuja, Nigeria. The Institute also actively works through collaborative research centres in select Universities and Colleges globally,” it states.