IHIALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAYOR AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP FOR 200 INDIGENES TO STUDY PART-TIME AT COOU

On Wednesday, 28th January, 2026, the Mayor of Ihiala Local Government Area, Engr. Anayochukwu Charles Orjiakor, paid a courtesy visit to the Management of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) at the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room, Igbariam.

The visit, which formed part of the Local Government’s broader engagement with key institutions, provided the platform for the unveiling of a scholarship initiative targeted at expanding access to higher education for indigenes of Ihiala Local Government Area.

Speaking during the visit, Engr. Orjiakor announced the approval of scholarships for two hundred qualified indigenes of Ihiala to pursue part-time degree programmes at COOU. He explained that the initiative was conceived as a people-centred intervention aimed at cushioning the effects of insecurity and economic hardship, which had disrupted livelihoods and limited the ability of many families to sponsor their children’s education.

According to the Mayor, the improved security situation in the area, coupled with increased government presence at the University’s Uli Campus under the current Vice Chancellor’s administration, encouraged the Local Government to take the bold step of investing directly in human capital development through education. He added that the scholarship scheme builds on the Council’s earlier commitment to education, which saw over one hundred students sponsored for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations in the previous year.

In her response, the Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha Fnipr, expressed delight at the initiative, describing it as innovative and people-oriented. She noted that many qualified individuals are unable to access higher education due to financial constraints and commended the Ihiala Local Government for prioritising education as a pathway to sustainable development.

Prof. Omenugha reaffirmed the University’s readiness to support initiatives that expand educational opportunities and contribute to human development, stressing that such interventions align with COOU’s commitment to Values, Viability, and Visibility as the driving forces of its institutional growth.

© COOUNews, 2026.