No fewer than 750 Nigerians are seeking scholarship under the World Free Education Programme of the International Vocational Centre in Nigeria for the 2018/2019 academic session, an official said.
The Officer in-charge of the programme, Mr Pedro Ndubuisi, gave the figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Enugu.
Ndubuisi said that the programme which was brought to Nigeria in February 2018 was aimed at making education affordable to specific segments of the public based on some terms and conditions.
According to him, Nigeria is one of the 17 countries where the programme is implemented.
The officer said that the programme had three categories – presidential, the physically challenged and general.
Ndubuisi said that while the presidential category targeted specially endowed children, the general category was open for others.
“The aim of the scheme is to ensure that no one, including the less privileged, is left out from getting access to quality secondary and tertiary education,” he said.
He said that funds for the scheme were provided by non-governmental organisations and public-spirited individuals across the world as a way of giving back to the society.
The officer said that the organisation was discussing with governments on how to ensure that Nigerians would get quality education.
He said that high cost of education was making access to education difficult for many Nigerians.
Ndubuisi appealed to the Federal Government to invest funds being recovered from corrupt Nigerians in education, particular in scholarship schemes.
“We believe that education is the answer to the problems we have in this country. We need to help the indigenes to have access to education.
“If government could convert a substantial part of security votes, cut down on frivolous expenses and invest same in education, this country will be a better place,” he added.
NAN reports that applicants for the free education are expected to pay certain fees for registration.
They are N6, 050 for secondary education and N9, 050 for tertiary.
Those seeking scholarship in foreign tertiary institutions are to pay N29, 050.
NAN reports that applicants sit for qualifying examinations, and successful ones are awarded the scholarship in line with the terms and conditions of the scheme.
Ndubuisi told NAN that the registration fees were used to take care of logistics for the examination.
He said that application for the 2018/2019 scholarship programme had closed while that of 2019/2020 session would open in February 2019. (NAN)