BY CHARLES EMENI
EDUCATION is considered a fundamental human right, recognized by the United Nations, and seen as a powerful tool for transforming societies and changing the world. And, according to former president of South Africa, late Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Education is not just about gaining knowledge and practical skills, but also about values, critical thinking, and finding one’s place in the society.
It is, perhaps, in the light of this that, RETECH Foundation (RF), a Non – profit making organisation, has kept to it’s mission of reducing poverty, hunger between and within countries through access to, and quality lifetime education, and making Delta State in Nigeria one of the benefiting States of this vision.
Its educational programmes include: the introduction of ‘Paint your School Initiative’ (PYS); Book Clubs, aimed at improving literacy and reading comprehension skills in schools; Scholarship Award Programmes for students; Ethics and Integrity Clubs in Schools, and the introduction of Power2school programme across Nigeria, from which public schools in Delta State have benefitted.
Last week, the Foundation made a landmark impact in the education space of Delta State again, when it embarked on the award of scholarship to Top 20 students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination.
The 20 benefitting students are from eight Local Government Areas of Burutu, Warri South West, Uvwie, Ethiope East, Bomadi, Patani, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East, while the benefitting Schools are: Ogbolumbiri Secondary School; Agogboro Secondary School, Agogboro; Ohorhe Secondary School; Ojeta Secondary School, Ojeta; Esenaebe College, Bomadi; Uduophiri Secondary Grammar School, Uduophiri; Utagba – Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale; and Aboh Secondary School Aboh.
The benefitting students are: Paris Lucky, Friday Peace, Vote Confidence, Semudara Ogo-Oluwayo, Oghodor Efemena Hope, Obiagwu Mercy and Agbanifo Loveth. Others are: Aglalume Orevaoghene Confidence, Omote Goodluck, Otojareri Favour, Akpoyibo Goodluck, Obamjedo Goodluck Emuesirioghene, Ossai Chukwudi Daniel, Enebeli Victory Chukwuemeke, Daniel Samuel Chukwuemelie, Ukrakpor Prince, Ekigwe Confidence and Odili Stella.
It is important to say that, RETECH Foundation deserves commendation for taking the initiative to award scholarships to the 20 students who came tops in the Basic Education Certificate Examination because, scholarships are a vital tool for promoting academic excellence and reducing financial burdens on the beneficiaries. And, in the case of the Top 20 benefitting students, the scholarship would provide the opportunity for them to pursue their educational goals, up to the Senior Secondary School level and beyond, regardless of their financial background. Beyond this, it is hoped that the scholarship would go a long way to promote gender equality and empowerment for the female student- beneficiaries.
Making his speech on the occasion of the scholarship awards, the Chairman and Trustee, RETECH Foundation, Engr. Ronye Egborge, congratulated each and every one of benefitting students on the award of the RETECH Foundation Scholarship for the remainder of RF’s Senior Secondary
School education, adding that, this is the second edition of the scholarship awards in Delta State.
In the first edition in 2021, RETECH Foundation offered scholarships to the Top 10 students in Delta State, in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), conducted by the
Ministry of Education in the State and it is a recognition of the outstanding academic performance of the benefitting students.
In Engr. Ronye Egborge’s words: “Today, you join over 200 other scholars from across 28 States in Nigeria who have been recipients of the RF’s Scholarship Award over the past six years.
RF’s scholarship programme is aimed at ensuring talented students do not drop out of school because of lack of funding. It is also aimed at improving the chances of such pupils having a space at the University. It will motivate beneficiaries to continue to excel academically and encourage other students to strive for excellence.
“In the long term, beneficiaries gain knowledge and skills for employment and can provide for themselves and their families. You are the future leaders of Nigeria. I would like to encourage you to always think of what you can do for your Country and not what your Country can do for you. Continue to work hard to ensure you maintain your academic performance.
“We would also like to see you imbibe Good Citizenship attributes, including integrity and honesty in all your dealings, taking responsibility for your actions and for your development, showing respect to constituted authority, your school management, teachers and your fellow students. Be selfless, lend a helping hand to one another and be confident in your ability. If you do this consistently, the sky will be your starting place and I believe the future will be very bright for each and every one of you.
“As our scholars, you have brought pride and honour to your Parents/Guardians and to your schools. You have earned for your school, our focus, and we look forward to introducing more of our programmes to your schools today to improve the quality of education you receive”.
Engr. Egborge expressed gratitude to the Delta State Government, the Commissioner for Education, the Permanent Secretary and the Directors in the Ministry of Education in the State, for their outstanding support and professionalism in assisting RF to identify the Top 20 in Delta State and for providing it with the support it needed to administer the scholarship programme in the State.
The presentation of the scholarship took off Monday, March 27,2025 at Ogbolumbri Secondary School, Burutu Local Government Area with three students – Paris Lucky, Friday Peace and Vote Confidence receiving cheque of N50,000 each. From there the RETECH Foundation team moved to Agogboro Secondary School, Agogboro in Warri South-West Local Government Area where a student in the school, Semudara Ogo-Oluwayo got the scholarship of N50,000. The team thereafter, moved to Ohorhe Secondary School, Ohorhe, for the presentation of the Scholarship of N50,000 to two students-Oghodor Efemena Hope and Obiagwu Mercy.
Still in the spirit of promoting education in schools in the state, the RETECH Foundation team moved to Ojeta Secondary School, Ojeta, in Ethiope East Local Government Area for the presentation of the scholarship, also in the sum of N50,000 to four students namely: Agbanifo Loveth, Aglalume Orevaoghene Confidence, Omote Goodluck and Otojareri Favour. The team thereafter moved to Esenaebe College, Bomadi, in Bomadi Local Government Area and Uduophori Secondary Commercial School, Uduophori for the presentation of the scholarship to two students, one from each of the schools; namely Akpoyibo Goodluck and Obanyedo Goodluck Emuesiriroghene.
The climax of the scholarship presentation came at Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, with the presentation to five students of the school, who were among the Top 20 in the Basic Secondary Education Examination conducted by the State’s Ministry of Education in 2024. In addition to this, two of the students came out the overall first and the second best in the examination in Delta State. They are: Ossai Chukwudi Daniel (first overall best student) and Enebeli Victory Chukwuwinke (2nd best overall student). Each of them got the scholarship in the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000).
Reacting to the scholarship Award, Ossai Chukudi Daniel (First overall best student), who spoke on behalf of the other benefitting students said, “I thank RETECH Foundation for awarding us this scholarship. It will go a long way to help our parents to take care of our school needs and encourage us to read harder. May God bless the Foundation”.
In his reaction, the Principal of Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, Mr. Azubogu Isaac Ezibike said; “I’m happy today because, twenty students who came Tops in the Basic Education Certificate Examination in Delta State are being awarded scholarship by RETECH Foundation, and five of the 20 are from Utagba-Ogbe Grammar School, where I am the Principal. Beyond that, the two overall best students in the State are from my school.
“For me, this is the reward for hard work on the part of the students and teachers in the school. It is also a proof that, contrary to the view of some youths out there, school is not a scam. I urge my good students to be good Ambassadors of Utagba-Ogbe Grammar, school. Please, don’t disappoint your parents and the larger society. I thank RETECH Foundation for this initiative as it will help in no small way to encourage our students to improve on their educational pursuit”.
Also, the Chief Inspector of Education in the Local Government, Mrs Oboh Ruth, while commending the good initiative of RETECH Foundation in awarding the scholarship to the students said, “I’m filled with joy today because, as the CIE in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, five of the Top 20 students and the first and second best students in the Basic Certificate Education Examination in the State came from my area of educational jurisdiction. This is great and encouraging”.
Many of the parents of the students who got the scholarship could not hold back their excitement, as they expressed their views and prayed endlessly for RETECH Foundation.
In Ethiope East for instance, one of the mothers of a student who got the scholarship, rolled on the ground, in appreciation to RETECH Foundation. “This scholarship will go a long way to meet the educational needs of my child because, I’m solely responsible for his upkeep in school. May God bless RETECH Foundation.
