Africa Skills Centre (ASC), a non-governmental organisation, has announced the award of scholarship and other incentives to 5,000 students of African descent, drawn from the three sub-regions where it is currently domiciled. The ASC is the largest online training hub in Africa, with physical offices in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. The organisation said it would be carrying out the scholarship award programme in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigeria Excellence Awards organisation, which currently covers South-West, South-East, South-South, and North-Central geopolitical zones.

The Nigeria Excellence Awards is code-named, SNEAWARDS. Speaking with THISDAY in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Chief Executive Officer of the ASC and coordinator of Nigeria Excellence Awards, Pastor Honey Olawale, said the gesture was tergetted at indigent students and whizkids in need of a morale booster.

“This is just the starting point, as we are determined to leverage on our global goodwill to develop human resources among our youths in the African continent. “We want students from poor background who are willing to pursue high-class education but are limited by their circumstances to fulfill their dreams.v”Same applies to the whizkids, who need certain vocational tools and exposure to accomplish their evolutionary quests; as we will be there for them,” he enthused.

The ASC, he added, would also be offering to students drawn from the areas of coverage of the Nigeria Excellence Awards, about 22 different skills acquisition courses, with professional lecturers sourced from different countries.

According to him, the presentation of the scholarship awards and matriculation of new vocational students will hold on November 26, 2020 (today), at the Conference Centre of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. “During the COVID-19 lockdown, a lot of people with no extra skill were stranded. As Africans, we have to look inwards and seek to develop our natural talents,” Olawale, who doubles as the chairman, screening committee for the SNEAWARDS, further disclosed.