The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF) and the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) have entered into a strategic partnership to equip 1,000 gifted but indigent Nigerian students with practical technology skills, mentorship and industry exposure as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s digital talent pipeline.
The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will see the NCS provide technical training and practical learning opportunities to beneficiaries of the Foundation’s 1,000 technology scholarship scheme, giving them exposure to experienced and certified professionals throughout their academic journey.
The scholarship initiative, announced by Africa’s foremost technology entrepreneur and Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, is designed to support exceptionally gifted but financially disadvantaged Nigerian students pursuing computer science and other technology-related disciplines in federal and state universities, as well as polytechnics across the country.
The scheme is anchored on Dr. Ekeh’s philosophy of “one family, one tech-empowered person” and will benefit 1,000 students drawn from all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, without discrimination on the basis of ethnic background.
From their first year until graduation, beneficiaries will receive world-class technology training, skills development and monthly financial support, in addition to dedicated mentorship to guide them through their academic and professional development.
The new collaboration with the NCS is expected to strengthen the practical component of the scholarship programme by bridging the gap between classroom learning and industry requirements.
Through hands-on training and interaction with seasoned technology professionals, scholars will have opportunities to develop technical competence, problem-solving abilities and the confidence required to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges.
According to the Director of LSEF, Dr. George Emetuche, the programme will include semester-based boot camps designed to expose beneficiaries to practical learning outside the conventional classroom environment.
He said the ultimate goal was to ensure that the scholars do not merely earn academic qualifications but graduate as competent technology professionals capable of developing solutions to real-world problems.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, President of the NCS, Professor Muhammed Siraju Aliyu, described Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh as a nationalist whose interventions have consistently created opportunities for Nigerians who might otherwise be excluded from such platforms.
Professor Aliyu noted that the relationship between Dr. Ekeh and the NCS predates the scholarship initiative, stressing that the technology entrepreneur had over the years contributed to efforts aimed at advancing technology and human capital development in Nigeria.
He also cited Dr. Ekeh’s technology innovation programmes, which identify young Nigerians with promising ideas, support them in developing their concepts and provide opportunities for them to present their innovations to prospective investors.
The NCS president expressed appreciation for Dr. Ekeh’s contributions to the Society and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to initiatives capable of advancing national development through technology and human capital investment.
Representing the Zinox Group, its Executive Director, Human Resources, Mrs. Chioma Nwoke, assured both LSEF and the NCS of the Group’s continued commitment to the scholarship initiative, cohort after cohort.
Beyond providing financial assistance for education, the partnership positions the scholarship scheme as a long-term human capital development intervention. By combining access to higher education with technical training, mentorship and practical industry exposure, the initiative is expected to help create a new generation of Nigerian technology professionals, innovators and problem-solvers.
With 1,000 young Nigerians set to benefit across the federation, the LSEF-NCS partnership also underscores the growing importance of structured investments in digital skills as Nigeria seeks to expand its technology ecosystem and develop home-grown solutions to emerging economic and social challenges.