Chess in Slums Africa founder, Tunde Onakoya, has partnered with Jobs59 founder, Sam Otigba, and AltSchool Africa founder, HackSultan, to launch a ₦250 million scholarship programme for corps members and recent graduates. The initiative will provide scholarships worth ₦160,000 each to study diploma programmes at AltSchool Africa, alongside career support, internship opportunities and free laptops for selected beneficiaries.
According to the organisers, each successful applicant will receive ₦10,000 towards the application fee and ₦150,000 for tuition. The scholarship is open to serving National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members, prospective corps members and recent NYSC alumni seeking to acquire in demand technology skills.
Participants can enrol in programmes including Artificial Intelligence Powered Fullstack Engineering, Cybersecurity, Cloud Engineering, Data Analysis, Technical Product Management, and Digital Marketing Automation and Sales. Beneficiaries will also receive mentorship, portfolio development guidance and job placement support through Jobs59.
Announcing the initiative, Sam Otigba said the programme is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical digital skills that lead to employment, while Tunde Onakoya noted that it would help graduates prepare for career opportunities beyond the NYSC scheme.