19 bag scholarship

Nineteen Nigerian students have been awarded scholarship to do their Master’s in Australia next year, the Australia High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonathan Richardson, has said.

The scholarship is a programme of the Australian government.

Richardson spoke at the launch of the Northwest and Northeast zones of the Australia Alumni Association in Nigeria in Kaduna. He said between 2010 and 2014, more than 200 students benefited, including 86 postgraduate scholarships.

The envoy said the scholarship, which offers both long and short term study and professional development opportunities to citizens of developing countries, is aimed at providing enhanced leadership skill, knowledge and technical expertise for students to work in strategic organisations driving development.

Richardson, who represented by the Third Secretary of the Commission, Mr Matthew Mechan, said a total of 923 Nigerians are stusying in Australian universities and vocational education school.

He said: “We want to encourage Nigerians interested in studying abroad to consider Australia as an option, given the strong record and high quality of our universities and tertiary institutions.” He added that another scholarship window will open in September.

He added: “Australian Scholarship Award covers a wide range of areas but is focusing on disciplines relevant to building government capacity including agriculture, food security, extractive industry, infrastructure, health and public policy.”

The co-ordinator of the zone’s Australia Alumni in Nigeria, Dr Zainab Mohammed, said the establishment of the association was necessary to build influence and contract, and to facilitate contact between the alumni and Australia in pursuance of developmental goals.

“We want to encourage Nigerians interested in studying aboard to consider Australia as an option, given its strong record and high quality tertiary institutions and to also take advantage of the scholarship,” she said.

In his goodwill message, Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Thot, praised the Australian government for its magnanimity and educational support for Nigerian students.

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