Chess in Slums Africa founder, Tunde Onakoya, has joined Jobs59 founder, Sam Otigba, and AltSchool Africa founder, HackSultan, to launch a ₦250 million scholarship fund for NYSC members and recent graduates seeking careers in technology.
The initiative will provide scholarships worth ₦160,000 to successful applicants to study any diploma programme at AltSchool Africa. Beneficiaries will also receive career support, internship opportunities and, for selected applicants, free laptops.
Announcing the initiative on X on Thursday, Otigba wrote, “We’re solving the Olodo uprising pandemic, one NYSC at a time. That’s our contribution to society.
“That’s why Tunde Onakoya, HackSultan and I are launching a ₦250 million scholarship fund to help recent graduates gain real, in-demand tech skills that lead to jobs.”
According to the organisers, each successful applicant will receive ₦10,000 towards the application fee and ₦150,000 towards tuition, bringing the total scholarship value to ₦160,000.
10 simple steps to apply
Confirm that you are eligible.
The scholarship is open to current NYSC corps members, prospective corps members and recent NYSC alumni.
Visit the NYSC to Tech Job Scholarship portal.
Complete the scholarship application form.
Fill in your NYSC details.
Choose your preferred AltSchool Africa diploma programme.
Review the information you entered.
Submit your application for eligibility review.
Wait for the organisers to review your application.
If successful, follow the admission guidance and scholarship instructions sent to you.
If you do not own a laptop, apply separately for the Laptop Scholarship Add-on for a chance to receive a free laptop.
The organisers said applicants without laptops can apply for the Laptop Scholarship Add-on, which will provide selected beneficiaries with free laptops to support their studies.
They added that laptop support requires a separate application after the scholarship application has been submitted.
Available diploma programmes
Successful applicants can enrol in any of the following programmes:
AI-Powered Fullstack Engineering
Cybersecurity
Cloud Engineering
Data Analysis
Technical Product Management
Digital Marketing Automation and Sales
The programmes will run for between nine and 12 months, with learners beginning internship applications from the sixth month.
Career support
The organisers said beneficiaries will also receive internship opportunities, job placement support through Jobs59, career mentorship and portfolio development guidance.
Otigba said the programme was created to help young graduates make better use of their service year.
“Beyond technical training, participants will also receive career support and internship/job opportunities through Jobs59.
“We also know that learning without a laptop is a major barrier, so we’ll be providing laptops to a select number of scholarship recipients through an additional application process,” he added.
Onakoya, who is supporting the programme as a youth development partner, said the initiative would help young Nigerians develop discipline, resilience and practical career skills while preparing them for opportunities after completing the NYSC programme.
Tribune
