NIGERIA

Chess in Slums Africa founder, Tunde Onakoya, has joined forces with Jobs59 founder, Sam Otigba and ALT School founder, HackSultan to launch a ₦250 million scholarship programme aimed at helping corps members and recent graduates acquire technology skills that can improve their employment prospects.

The initiative will offer successful applicants scholarships worth ₦160,000 to study diploma programmes at AltSchool Africa, alongside career guidance, internship opportunities and, for selected beneficiaries, free laptops.

Otigba announced the initiative on X on Thursday, saying the programme was designed to tackle what he described as the “Olodo uprising pandemic” by helping one NYSC member at a time.

“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,” he wrote.

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.

Who Can Apply?

The scholarship is open to current NYSC corps members, prospective corps members and recent NYSC alumni.

How to Apply

– Visit the NYSC to Tech Job scholarship portal: https://altschoolafrica.com/nysc#scholarship-support

– Complete the scholarship application form with your NYSC details.

– Select your preferred AltSchool Africa diploma programme.

– Submit the application for eligibility review.

– Successful applicants will receive admission guidance and scholarship support.

Applicants without laptops can also apply for the Laptop Scholarship Add-on, which will provide selected beneficiaries with free laptops to support their studies.

The organisers said applicants must complete an additional application process to be considered for laptop support after applying for the main scholarship.

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 are expected to last between nine and 12 months, with learners expected to begin applying for internships from the sixth month.

Career Support and Job Opportunities

Beyond the training, scholarship recipients will receive access to internship opportunities, job placement support through Jobs59, career mentorship and guidance on portfolio development.

Otigba said the initiative was created to help young graduates turn their NYSC service year into a foundation for building a career.

“Beyond technical training, participants will also receive career support and internship/job opportunities through Jobs59,” he said.

He added that the organisers recognised the difficulty many young people face when trying to learn without access to a laptop.

“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,” Otigba said.

Onakoya, who is supporting the programme as a youth development partner, said the initiative would focus on helping young Nigerians develop discipline, resilience and practical career skills while preparing them for opportunities after completing the NYSC programme.