Opay Digital Company, a mobile money subscriber firm, has disbursed N12 million scholarship to 40 indigent students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Malam Auwalu Umar, Director Public Affairs Directorate of the university, who made this known in a statement issued in Zaria on Friday, said each of the 40 students received N300,000.
He said the scholarship disbursement took place at the university after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ABU and the company.
Umar quoted the Managing Director of Opay Digital Company, Mr Dauda Gotring, as saying that the grant was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
Gotring, who is an alumnus of the university, stated that Opay has a special bond with ABU, hence its decision to pick 40 students from the institution.
He added that beside the 40 beneficiaries from ABU, an additional 20 beneficiaries were picked from other institutions.
According to the managing director, Opay is a brand well accepted and rooted in Nigeria, stressing that the company is stronger than all digital financial companies put together.
Gotring said: “Our target is for small end users and to promote financial inclusion as part of the digital policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“The Company is also going to empower women in Zaria through startup programmes and other commercial viable.”
Gotring thanked the vice-chancellor and the university management for the warm reception accorded them and prayed for it to be sustained.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, expressed gratitude to Opay on behalf of the university’s management for the generosity.
Bala noted that the scholarship would go a long way in alleviating the financial constraints of the benefiting students.
The V-C recalled that sometimes in July, the Chief Public Affairs Officer of the Company, Mr Justin Zhang, came to intimate the management on their intention to offer scholarship to 20 students.
He said: “I pleaded that ABU should be considered for more, being the largest university in the country, I am happy our plea has been considered.
“Let me thank Opay in advance for the forthcoming women programme, the university has a responsibility to the host community.”
The V-C enjoined the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds to better their stay on campus.
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