Britain and Nigeria have a lot in common. Having been colonised by the British, Nigeria not only shares the same lingua franca with Britain but also models most of her institutions after hers. The Chevening scholarship scheme is another of such commonly shared heritage, which Chuka Odittah in this article chronicles. ? ?
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The Chevening scholarship programme has come a long way in Nigeria. First established in 1983 under the name of Foreign and Commonwealth Office(FCO) scholarship award, the laudable scheme was later renamed as Chevening Scholarship and had remained so ever since.
The name Chevening was derived from the Kent estate of the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary’s official residence. The scholarship programme which gives opportunity to recipients to undertake a one-year masters degree ?course ?at a cost borne by the British government is supervised by the British Council office spread across different countries.
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According to statistics, over 1000 Nigerian beneficiaries have taken part in the programme, studying in reputable universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, London Business School, Kings College London. Others are, University of Exeter, Leeds Metropolitan University, and University of Kent. In view of the widespread transformation the programme accords beneficiaries, it is not surprising that it has become highly sought after by many intending scholars. This in turn has given rise to intense competitiveness among intending beneficiaries. But to qualify, prospective candidates are expected to meet certain standards set by the British Council. One of such crucial conditions and perhaps the most tasking of them all is the requirement of a minimum of second class upper division degree award to qualify for scholarship.
The British high commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Andrew Lloyds, in an interaction with LEADERSHIP WEEKEND gave credence to the high worth of the Chevening scholarship programme. He emphasised that though the scholarship programme was funded by the British government, it was nonetheless designed to add just the same high value associated with the core British education and could in addition compare if not outshine those prevalent in the world’s best ivory towers. His explanations portrayed the high esteem in which his home government held the yearly capital intensive programme.
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“ The Chevening programme provides post graduate courses aimed at candidates with the clear potential to be leaders. The most able and promising candidates are given awards after a competitive selection process. Up to 4-5 candidates a year may pursue master’s level studies at universities in the UK. In fact, wherever you find a Chevening scholar, be sure that you have found a potential leader who has been equipped with what it takes to create a positive change for ?transformation and needed development,” he said.
To consolidate on the worth of Chevening scholarship, recipients of the award dating back to 1983 when it began , have come up with an umbrella association which they are to be known by. Known as Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria, all beneficiaries of the programme are now to contribute to the development of the Nigerian society by making value statements and recommendations on all sectors of human endeavour.
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The journey towards the establishment of the association was not all rosy. In fact , it seemed inconceivable at first. Chairman of the Steering Committee assembled to coordinate the affairs of the Chevening scholars. Sir Thomas Odemwingie put the transition of the association into perspective.?
“Efforts were made in the past to bring together, recipients of the Chevening scholarship scheme. The first step towards the formation of the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria was taken on March 14, 2009 when the British Council convened a meeting of selected recipients from its inception.
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To put it straight, his account told the story of personal sacrifices, which had to be made to pave the way for the creation of a body now fully certified as a corporate entity that can sue and be sued in the event of litigation. Beyond this scope, the Chevening Alumni Association now has a forum that it can make recommendations to government and society through.
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“It has to be admitted that efforts were made in the past to bring together recipients of Chevening Scholarship scheme. I myself recall that back then when I was based in Lagos, I got invited to one function or another, at which sentiments were enthusiastically expressed on the need to come together. Come to think of it, only a few experiences are more fulfilling than a Chevening experience: A full scholarship to study in a British institution for all of one year, in a well organised system, during which you get to meet some world famous authorities on favourite academic disciplines or subjects. Imagine meeting Robert Chambers in flesh, beyond the refreshing pages of his theories of development.” “The committee immediately swung into action but it was not easy, due to funds limitation. The process of articulating a constitution took longer than expected among committee members based in Lagos, but because of cost implications to members, there were no incentives for more meetings. We then resorted to on-line communication”, he said.
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Those who voluntarily offered to serve as trustees of the association are myself, Thomas Odemwigie(Chair), Mercy Gambo Haruna(Secretary), Peter Ujomu, Olufunke Amobi, Shaibu ?Idris, and Emeka Akabogu”, Thomas recalled.
To kickstart what would be a continuum in intellectual contributions to the development of the nation, members of the Chevening Alumni Association held a brainstorming session in Abuja, just before they went to the polls to elect their substantive executives to oversee the affairs of the scholarly league.
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Speaking on ?the theme: “Public Private Partnership For National Development In Nigeria”, a session moderated by Anthonia Ekpa, a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the association came up with far reaching recommendations on how to give impetus to the federal government’s privatisation drive. They also in unequivocal terms condemned the wave of corrupt practises taking place with impunity at various levels of governance. The key discussants were Shuaibu Idris, (former director, Dangote Group Ltd., Mr. Kester Onyema Osahenye(regional marketing manager ,MTN South-South region). At the peak of the momentous event held in, Abuja, members of the association elected some of their own to take charge of affairs until the next election period.
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Just before they drew the curtains at the event, Mr. Odemwingie pledged that the executive would work together to take the alumni league to the next level.Meanwhile, Maryam Enjiazu, a reproductive health programme expert at the Child Protection unit of the UNICEF, who studied at the master degree level at the University of Exeter ?paid a glowing tribute to the British Council for making such a programme available to her.“I’m so glad that I was given the scholarship between 2000-2001. It has really changed my life as you can see,” she said.
The story told by Catherine Gana, a Chevening ?scholar between 1997-1999 was similar to Maryam’s. Gana studied at the Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK. The health expert, who is now the executive director of Health Development Agency, expressed happiness that the scholarship was extended to her amidst keen competition from other prospective beneficiaries. She described the scheme as bringing sun shine where there was none.