SGB Insurance Brokers Endows UNILAG Academic Prize for Best Student

Funmi Ogundare

With a prize of N2.5 million for the next 10 years, SGB Insurance Brokers, is set to kick-start its endowment of an academic prize for the best Insurance graduating student in the University of Lagos ( UNILAG), as part of efforts of its 20th anniversary celebration.
The SGB insurance brokers prize for the best graduating insurance student is a scholarship aimed at spurring students for academic excellence in Insurance.
Speaking at a meeting with management of Unilag, held yesterday, the Managing Director of the organisation, Mr. Sammy Dalmeida noted that the N2.5 million 10-year tenured endowment, will result in the best graduating insurance student receiving N250,000 every year for the next 10 years.
According to him, ” the purpose of the prize is to honour and recognise hard work and academic excellence. The award is to celebrate the sacrifices and dedication of the most outstanding insurance student.”
He expressed hope that with the corporate social responsibility project, the insurance brokers would be contributing to strengthening the quality of skilled personnel in the Nigerian insurance industry.
He also expressed optimism that the recipient of the annual award will be most hardworking student in their set and will be well deserving of the prize, having demonstrated academic excellence.
Speaking with journalists on its 20th anniversary, Dalmeida expressed concern about the volatile business terrain in the country saying that once a business is able to survive for 20 years, then, there is a need to celebrate.
” We thought that in celebrating, we should give back to the society. That is why we looked at several corporate social responsibility projects and we decided to do an endowment of an academic prize for excellence in Insurance.”
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics and Research, Prof. Oluwole Familoni expressed excitement about the endowment while commending the organisation for remembering their Alma mater by giving back to the system.
” When you donate a prize, it creates a competition for people to strive to obtain it.”
He disclosed that the institution is dependent solely on what it can generate by itself, adding that it receives N170 million monthly from the federal government for the payment of salaries.
The VC thanked the organisation for its initiative saying that UNILAG has an office of advancement charged with the responsibility of ensuring that it runs better.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa said the institution is currently learning to harness the resources its alumni represent which it had not been doing.
“We are proud of you and we will be harnessing the resources and also engaging you for other initiatives.
” Beyond prizes, we are also looking for support for researches that can actually contribute to academics.”