Educationists award 3 scholarship; holds first Academic Idol Scholarship in Africa.

It was celebration galore recently as three students bagged the just concluded Academic Idol Scholarship awards organized by First New Generation Citadel and Goodmus Learning Centre; three students won the Idol Scholarship with the overall winner to study in Turkey; and a student bagged an African award; and the other a Nigerian Scholarship.

As part of a joint effort to get children off the streets, Goodmus Learning Centre, in collaboration with First New Generation Citadel has awarded  scholarships to the first to third winners in the recently concluded Academic Idol Competition in Lagos.

The award presentation at First New Generation Citadel Ltd premises recently had in attendance CEO of goodmus learning centre, Amb. Adekunle Badmus, CEO of First New Generation Citadel, Dr. Mrs. Michelle Ukoh; Nollywood actress, Ambassador Idowu Phillips popularly called Iya Rainbow, parents and students. In his address, the excited Badmus noted that the students have made the world, Africa and Nigeria proud for their diligence and commitment to success adding that the organization partnering together has always in its capability provided a good platform for the students to achieve outstanding academic results.

He said: “This is an event where we are celebrating excellence. An excellence that has been validated by us as international organisations not the one ‘we say to ourselves we are doing well.’ We have been sending students to study abroad for the past sixteen years and at various levels we have succeeded. 

We have many international academic travel agency in Africa. Every year, GLC and FNG would want to reward students across the continent for excellence and we have always put on for that competition. For the first time, to celebrate outstanding results from us. He added that, “Academic Idol Scholarship award cuts across various African countries of the world. In all African counties of the world, you find GLC and FNG. AIS award is not just for academic performance but also the impact of the student in their larger community and within the African community and the world. The award is in three categories and the organisations are expected to put in only three nominations and talk about what the students have done, with evidence. We went in for three and we won the three.

The scholarships are not based on only their academic performance but also on all the different things they do aside from academics. And if we sum the worth of all the scholarships, we have over $2 million worth scholarships awarded to some of our students through Goodmus Learning Centre.

“The other awards are AISA, many international schools belong to this organisation. Every year, AISA would want to reward students across the continent for excellence and we have always put on for that competition. For the first time, we won an award for excellence and for the second time we won again.”

Dr. Michelle Ukoh, when interviewed by TVC news; stressed that: “What we do in FNG and GLC is to give them that enabling environment so they are the best in whatever they are doing. We don’t only send them abroad, you do all social activities because that is the totality of the human being and with that it brings up abilities. Let’s learn to encourage our students to be the best in every way. People that are in the position to make and enforce the laws should give our children the enabling environment. Our children shouldn’t be what we should be playing with and I’m sure they will make us proud if we give them what they need.”

In her commendations, Nollywood actress, Iya Rainbow said the scholarship was just the beginning

“We are here to celebrate our students in the just concluded Academic Idol Scholarship award. The overall student Anikwe Chioma Benita, to study in Turkey, second best; Anioluwapo Bello - Oro to study in Africa, third best; Anikwe Chikamso Gerald, to study in a private university in Nigeria. We are advocating that this scholarship be a stepping stone for our students. I wish to encourage parents to take advantage of this competition next year.

Nothing is good as success. We thank God for the enablement and also try our best because it will be a regular thing.

The overall best winner, Miss Anikwe Chioma Benita, a recipient of the Idol scholarship award and only student awarded the AIS award in the whole of Africa with over $100,000 worth of scholarship, appreciated the organisation for its support.

She said, “I received the Idol scholarahip award for my  excellent contribution to put in my best. This award is the recognition of students that do things they love. I believe that if you do things you enjoy and impact positively, you are also a good student.

“The Academic Idol Scholarship awards came as a surprise and it’s an honour to have been picked among the students all over the continent. AIS awards map out Africa on the map and it’s about the tenacity of the students and the passion that we have as students to develop our community and when I say community I mean the country at large. It’s an honour to be a recipient and truly I didn’t see this coming. I just kept doing what I know how to do best.”

Another Idol award recipient, Miss Anioluwa Bello - Oro, said life has given her enough and all she wants to do is give back, which eventually won her an award: “The award I won was the significant contribution to the African community taking my studies seriously. I believe I won this award because of my impact about education and I’m very passionate about "taking a bull by the horn" and putting smiles on my parents faces and it is a significant benefit to the larger society. I also believe that this award is a motivation for people to do the best they can as individuals in the community,” she said.