British High Commission welcomes 178 Nigerian scholars

The British High Commission in Nigeria has welcomed 178 exceptional scholars and fellows who recently completed their studies through the prestigious Chevening and Commonwealth United Kingdom scholarships, pursuing a wide range of master’s degrees, fellowships and PhD programmes.

This was contained in a statement made available to our correspondent by the Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer of the British High Commission in Abuja, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, on Friday.

Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships are awarded to individuals who demonstrate intellectual ability, leadership potential and a commitment to the development of their home country.

The Chevening Scholarship, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, has over the past 40 years granted 1500 Nigerians scholarships to study in the UK.

“This year, the Chevening Scholarship welcomes 44 scholars. Commonwealth Scholarship welcomes 134 scholars. Every year, over 100 Nigerian students benefit from the scholarship for postgraduate, PhD degree and fellowship programmes.

“The Commonwealth scheme has impacted over 3000 alumni in Nigeria since its inception,” according to the statement.

In Lagos, Deputy High Commissioner, Jonny Baxter hosted the newly returned 2022/2023 Nigerian scholars and fellows after the successful completion of their programmes.

The Baxter who spoke at the reception congratulated the scholars and fellows, urging them to uphold the values of Nigeria and the UK.

He said, “We take pride in welcoming back our Commonwealth and Chevening Scholars. Congratulations to each of you for successfully completing your studies, many with distinctions.

“I am pleased that you have had the opportunity to study in the UK and have now returned with additional knowledge and skills to positively impact Nigeria. Aim for excellence and continue to uphold the values of both the UK and Nigeria through your remarkable achievements.”

A Commonwealth fellow who studied at the Lifegate Outreach Centre UK, Ebere Iwuagwu, stated that she discovered the paucity of access to energy and its impact in most communities.

In the same vein, a Chevening scholar who studied Cybersecurity at Cardiff University, UK, Jonathan Ayodele, stated “The Chevening scholarship not only provided me with world-class education but also invaluable networking opportunities with industry leaders and access to several opportunities in the UK tech sector.”