Sen. Umeh Awards Scholarships to 223 Anambra Central Students in Tertiary Institutions
It was an emotional and joyous moment at Canaan House, Awka, on Thursday as Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR awarded scholarships to 223 students from Anambra Central. The scholarship, amounting to ₦37 million, covers the first-year tuition fees for the 2023/2024 Academic Session under the Anambra Central Scholarship Programme.
Francisca Okoro 
It was an emotional and joyous moment at Canaan House, Awka, on Thursday as Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR awarded scholarships to 223 students from Anambra Central. The scholarship, amounting to ₦37 million, covers the first-year tuition fees for the 2023/2024 Academic Session under the Anambra Central Scholarship Programme. This initiative, introduced during Senator Umeh's first term in the Senate in 2018, is set to continue until the beneficiaries graduate.
This year's scholarship programme is on a larger scale. Upon his return to the Senate in 2023, Senator Umeh made education a top priority, integrating student scholarships into his constituency projects. A total of 223 brilliant but less privileged students were selected from the 58 communities in Anambra Central through town unions, clergymen, and other organizations managing vulnerable people.
During the event, Senator Umeh, known for his passion for education, encouraged the beneficiaries to seize this opportunity to achieve their full potential. He shared success stories from the Victor Umeh Education Foundation (VUMEF), which he has solely funded for over 17 years, noting how past beneficiaries have excelled in their academic and professional careers.
In addition to covering tuition fees, the scholarship provides extra funds to help students purchase books and cover other needs. Senator Umeh reassured the recipients that next year's scholarship edition will be even more enhanced, underscoring his commitment to their academic success.
An emotional highlight of the event came when a blind student, Nwafor Angela, expressed deep gratitude to Senator Umeh for the scholarship. Another moving moment occurred when a pregnant nursing student, Nnajidenma Ogomegbunam Ugochukwu, tearfully thanked the senator for restoring her hope of completing her education.
The traditional ruler of Akwaeze, HRH Igwe Christopher Okpala (Ezennebo III Na Akwaeze), commended Senator Umeh's contributions to education, predicting that within a decade, the senator's scholarships will produce many graduates who will give back to society.
The event also saw the appointment of Mr. JohnMary Ejiofor as Senior Special Assistant to Senator Umeh on Students' Scholarships. The atmosphere was filled with jubilation as beneficiaries received bank credit alerts for their tuition payments on the spot.
Since the founding of VUMEF, more than 300 individuals, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, and clergy, have benefitted from Senator Umeh’s commitment to education and human capacity development.
