Cowrie 25 Awards Scholarship to Students, Establishes N100m Trust Fund

The Cowrie 25 Club has awarded scholarships to undergraduate students of the University of Benin and Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma  reaffirming its commitment to supporting indigent and high-performing students from Edo South Senatorial District.

The award ceremony, held in the Rev. Dundon Hall, at the University of Benin, was graced by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Edoba Omoregie (SAN) who was represented by Prof. David Izekor, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu and the Oliha of Benin Kingdom, Chief Edionwe Oliha & Chief Igbinenikao Edohen ( both Uzama) among other dignitaries.

Chairman of the Education Committee, Dr. Toni Ogunbor, said the initiative reflects Cowrie 25 long-standing mission to invest in the human capital of Edo South. 

He noted that the club comprises accomplished sons of the district—Industrialists, Chartered Accountants, Oil and Oil operators, Bankers, Engineers, Architects, Medical Professionals, IT specialists and Entrepreneurs—who benefitted from quality education and are now giving back.

Ogunbor announced that the club is establishing N100 million Education Trust Fund lots, each dedicated to sustaining tertiary-level scholarships. “This will ensure long-term funding and expansion of the scheme to more institutions,” he said.

Since restructuring the scholarship into a post-secondary program, the Cowrie 25 Club has supported 91 students in three years. The new batch brings the tally even higher, with the award trend showing steady growth:

The scholarship—valued at N100,000 yearly for the general category and N200,000 for the merit-based Cowrie Scholar award—is open to 200-level students in UNIBEN and Ambrose Alli University. 

Eligible fields include Accounting, Law, Engineering, Economics, ICT, Medical Sciences, and Education, among others. A minimum CGPA of 3.5 is required, with priority given to indigent students.

Ogunbor said the Club’s motivation comes from the recognition that modern societies can only thrive through an educated and productive population.

“Without good quality education, a people cannot be creative and competitive in today’s world. Education made us who we are, and we want to create similar opportunities for others,” he said.

Secretary of the Education Committee, Engr. Osa Owieadolor says, Cowrie 25 will be encouraged to do more if the beneficiaries continue to excel in their academic pursuit. 

“Over the past three years, we have seen that growth from 15, 32, 45 and it’s going to continue to grow”.