Ex-Commissioner Applauds Philanthropist as Foundation Awards Scholarships to Over 700 Students in Anambra

By Praise Chinecherem

For more than 700 indigent students in Anambra State and beyond, the dream of staying in school has received a major boost as the I.G. Aguowo Health and Academic Foundation (IGAHAF) awarded scholarships to beneficiaries across primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

The intervention, which seeks to ease the financial burden of education on disadvantaged families, was announced at the foundation’s 6th Annual Education Summit, where education advocates, government officials, philanthropists and beneficiaries gathered to celebrate the impact of sustained investment in human capital development.

The event also featured the induction of eight graduating beneficiaries into the IGAHAF Global Network of Alumni. Each of the graduates received N250,000 to support their transition beyond university.

In a further boost to tertiary education, four outstanding scholarship beneficiaries — Ben Eze of Ebonyi State University, as well as Moses Chibuike and Nwafor Chiamaka of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, among others — received N500,000 each alongside HP laptops.

Speaking at the ceremony, the immediate past Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, commended the foundation’s founder for what she described as a strategic investment in education and the future of young Nigerians.

Chuma-Udeh, who delivered the keynote address titled, “Service to Humanity: The IGAHAF; Redefining Values Through Generosity,” described education as one of the most powerful instruments for social transformation and human capital development.

She said the foundation had demonstrated that philanthropy could go beyond financial assistance to become a vehicle for restoring dignity and creating opportunities.

“True value is measured by what is given away — time, resources, knowledge and opportunity,” she said.

The former commissioner added that the greatest legacy of philanthropy was not material structures but the values such interventions instilled in society.

“The most enduring legacy any foundation can leave is not a name on a building but the values it normalised. When those values are discharged with generosity, service and dignity, then humanity itself becomes the greatest return on investment,” she said.

Chairman of IGAHAF, Onyeka Aguowo, said the annual scholarship programme had become an integral part of his life and his commitment to serving God and humanity.

According to him, the initiative was designed primarily to reduce the financial pressure faced by students and their families while ensuring that lack of resources did not truncate promising academic journeys.

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Ebuka Onunkwo, said the programme aligned with the foundation’s objective of using education to empower young people and break the cycle of poverty.

He commended the foundation for sustaining the initiative, noting that supporting young people through education was an investment whose benefits would extend far beyond the immediate beneficiaries.

The second keynote speaker, Barrister Ujunwa Ezeofor, also highlighted the long-term impact of scholarship schemes, noting that empowering individuals through education ultimately strengthens families, communities and society.

Earlier, the Executive Director of IGAHAF, Gloria Abanihe, disclosed that beneficiaries were carefully selected based on their academic performance and other criteria established by the foundation.

She said the foundation’s scholarship model was deliberately structured to cover different levels of education.

“The Foundation’s strategic investments are systematically distributed across distinct academic categories, balancing foundational primary education with advanced tertiary specialisation,” Abanihe said.

She added that IGAHAF remained committed to providing sustained academic support to young people.

“IGAHAF remains steadfastly dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders through robust, uninterrupted academic sponsorship,” she noted.

Also speaking at the event, the member representing Awka North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Prof. Lilian Orogbu, said the responsibility of funding education should not rest solely on government.

Orogbu, who noted that she had also supported education initiatives in some communities, called on other wealthy individuals and organisations to emulate the foundation’s intervention.

She congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by making responsible use of the opportunities provided.

For the beneficiaries, the scholarships represented more than financial assistance.

Some described the intervention as a “lifeline” that arrived at a critical point in their academic journeys, expressing gratitude to the foundation and praying for continued strength and resources for the philanthropist to sustain the programme.

With more than 700 students benefiting from the latest intervention, IGAHAF’s annual education initiative continues to position philanthropy as a practical tool for expanding access to education and investing in the next generation.

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