The British Deputy High Commission in Lagos says 191 Nigerians awarded scholarships through its Chevening and Commonwealth programme have completed their studies in the United Kingdom.

This was made known at a welcome ceremony for the scholars at the British residence in Lagos.

Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations.

The scholarships support studies at UK universities, mostly for a one-year master’s degree for individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders and decision-makers in their home countries.

In his remarks, British Deputy High Commissioner Johnny Baxter urged the scholars to impact society positively.

“The skills acquired should be used to build networks that would translate into creating positive lasting change,” he said.

Boma Adebowale, Chevening programme and communication officer in Lagos, said the scholars were fully funded for their various programmes in the UK, adding that they were selected from various fields.

“It is imperative to note that the programme was designed to be diverse, selecting scholars from various fields across all sectors, as the aim is to be as inclusive as possible,” Ms Adebowale said.

She noted that Chevening has over 55,000 alumni globally, while the Commonwealth programme’s alumni network is 31,000 globally and 3,000 locally.

“A Chevening scholar is different from others because you get to meet an alumni network of over 50,000 people globally and 1550 locally,” she said.

A beneficiary of the scholarship, Tolulope Ami-Williams, who studied contemporary performance art at the Manchester Metropolitan University, expressed her excitement after her master’s degree in the UK.

She commended the UK government for the skill set acquired during her programme.

Similarly, Daniel Onwe, who studied international law and development at the University of Nottingham, noted that the experience would enable him to scale his career and impact where it matters.

Since the inception of the Chevening programme in 1984 in Nigeria, over 1,500 Nigerians have benefitted from it.

(NAN)