One hundred and twenty-seven Nigerians have been awarded the 2023 Chevening and Commonwealth United Kingdom scholarships to study various master’s degrees and PhD programs in the United Kingdom. 

The British High Commission in Abuja disclosed this at Wednesday’s pre-departure reception of the successful candidates.

 The British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, congratulated the candidates who passed the screening exercise to secure the scholarships.

“Seeing you all here is a great testimony to hard work, perseverance, and resilience through a highly competitive process,” Mr Montgomery said. 

He added, “I challenge each of you to aim for excellence in your studies, to be great ambassadors for Nigeria in the UK, and to take advantage of every opportunity during your scholarship — through growing your knowledge, enriching cultural exchange, and confident networking — and then bringing those experiences back to Nigeria and doing great things for your country while creating a positive change in this country and the world.”

One of the Commonwealth scholars, Michael Oyedoyin, who spoke with journalists, revealed the motive behind his application for the Chevening scholarships. 

Mr Oyedoyin, who would be studying Family and Child Psychology at the University of Chester, UK, said he decided to pursue the master’s degree when he discovered that family issues are often the bedrock of poor academic performance by students. 

Another Chevening scholar, Odera Akpata, who will study International Business at the University of Warwick, UK, reflected on the last two attempts to secure the scholarship, which were not successful, and how great things happen to those who do not give up. 

The Chevening Scholarships enable outstanding emerging leaders worldwide to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK. 

It is a fully funded scholarship scheme open to students from all over the world.