Oil giant, Cheveron, has lightened up the hardships of the visually-impaired students from the Niger Delta region in various tertiary institutions around the country.
The scholarship programme for the physically-impaired students kicked off in 2007.
Anchored by NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, the initiative provided hope to a number of blind students who have lost all hope of pursuing further education due to financial constraint.
Over 200 students in various tertiary institutions receive N150,000 annually from the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture under the scholarship scheme.
Recently, some of the blind students under the aegis of the Niger Delta Blind Students Association, shared the story of how Chevron’s scholarship has changed their lives and helped them to continue their education and to meet the requirements of higher education in Nigeria
In a chat with one of the recepients, Emmanuel Sylvanus, who benefitted from the scholarship, he revealed that besides his mother who is also physically-impaired, there are four other brothers having the same challenge.
The final year student of Mass Communications at the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashuku, Delta State, disclosed that the scholarship has brought succor to himself and his entire family.
“As a child of a blind woman and a brother to four blind persons in my family, you can understand that the means of survival for daily bread is even difficult not to talk of affording higher education.
“Chevron has made it possible for some blind students who would have dropped out of school because of lack of money to remain intact in the school system,” the young man noted.
Emmanuel, who also observed that, through the scholarship, the company has taken away some burden off the government, mentioned that it has enabled him to perform excellently well in 2010 as the second-best student in the Ordinary National Diploma level before he proceeded to the Higher National Diploma level
Gabriel Godwin, another beneficiary, is also a final year student of Mass Communications at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). According to him, Chevron’s scholarship has gone a long way in ameliorating his financial plight in the school.
“I find it easy to pay my school fees, buy the necessary textbooks, tape recorder and some other materials needed in the school for the smooth running of my academic activities, “ Godwin disclosed, adding that Chevron as a unique company in the manner with which it has been putting smiles on the faces of the physically-impaired.
Gabriel remarked: “This (Chevron) is the only oil company in Nigeria and even in Africa that has given this exceptional scholarship to the visually impaired particularly the Niger Delta students – there is no aptitude test, nothing whatsoever….”
Another beneficiaries of the NNPC/Chevron scholarship are Felix Lodio and Idowu Philip. While Felix is a final year student of the Department of English/Literature in Delta State University of Technology (Affiliated to College of Education Warri, Nigeria), Idowu, an indigene of Ondo State, is a final year student of Department of Mass communication at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
According to them, apart from alleviating their financial hardship, the scholarship has helped them to compete favorably with their sighted colleagues in their schools.
The families of the scholarship beneficiaries have also commented on the positive impact of the scholarship award to their children. One of them is Mr. Edison Edhere from Delta State, the father of one of the beneficiaries, Omoefe Edhere, a final year student of Special studies at the University of Jos.
Expressing delight on the scholarship, Mr. Edhere stated: “I had stroke for over 10 years now. If not for this scholarship from Chevron, there would have been no hope for me and my family. ”
The President of Niger Delta blind students’ Association, Tariye Ben Omietimi, an indigene of Bayelsa State, said the vision of gathering the blind students under an umbrella came out of his compassion for visually-impaired students who had no exposure as to where to get help.
He commended the NNPC/Chevron for extending its corporate responsibility programmes to the blind students.
The NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture has shown that apart from delivering on its core objective of oil and gas production, the company continues to add value to the society.
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