The Africa-America Institute announces the selection of 22 students awarded the Jim Ovia Foundation Leaders Scholarship.
The highly selective scholarship seeks to empower deserving students with full tuition, room and board at Ashesi and Covenant Universities.
According to Mr. Jim Ovia, the Founder/Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc and Jim Ovia Foundation, “This scholarship opportunity shows our collective effort towards the development of education in Africa.
Our selection of students within this first cohort includes students from across East, West and Southern Africa, inherently celebrating the African geographic diversity. This also highlights the international reach and global impact of the JOFLS program and partnership with AAI.”
“By providing educational paths to livelihood for our talented 22 first-generation college scholarship students, the Jim Ovia Foundation is creating a ripple effect of opportunities for families and communities across Africa. We are delighted to support this cohort and eagerly anticipate the positive sea change to come as the program grows,” stated Kofi Appenteng, President and CEO of the Africa-America Institute.
The Jim Ovia Foundation Leaders Scholarship (JOFLS) was created from a partnership between the Africa-America Institute (AAI) and the Jim Ovia Foundation in 2017. Mr. Jim Ovia, on behalf of the Jim Ovia Foundation, pledged $2 million fund in support of higher education via the JOFLS. This was formally announced at AAI’s 33rd Annual Awards Gala, on the heels of the UN General Assembly convening, where Mr. Ovia received the AAI African Business Leader Award.
Twelve of the 22 students are now attending Ashesi University in Ghana, and the additional ten are presently at Covenant University in Nigeria. Both universities were selected to host the inaugural cohort because of their commitment to academic success and to providing holistic support to its student body. The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, mentorship support, books, and student travel.
The Jim Ovia Foundation Leaders scholarship recipients are all first-generation college students and represent various countries across Africa – a true Pan-African endeavor. The first cohort includes young nationals from Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
Source: The Africa-America Institute
