MSL Foundation Awards Scholarships, Pays WAEC Fees for over 250 Ebonyi North Students
By Nkechi Ewa, Abakaliki
No fewer than 250 students from Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone have received scholarship support from the Mbam Stanley Labechi (MSL) Foundation, in a major intervention aimed at promoting education and youth development in Ebonyi State.
As part of the initiative, the foundation also paid the 2025/2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) fees for secondary school students drawn from the zone.
The scholarship award ceremony, held in Abakaliki, attracted beneficiaries from Ebonyi, Izzi, Abakaliki and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas, alongside government officials, academics, community leaders and parents.
Founder of the foundation, Mr Stanley Lebechi Mbam, said the programme was inspired by a personal resolve to support hardworking but indigent students and contribute meaningfully to human capital development in the state.
According to him, the gesture is sustained “by the grace and abundance God has bestowed on my family,” as he praised the Ebonyi State Government and stakeholders for sustaining peace and creating an enabling environment for development.
Mbam disclosed that while the 2025 edition of the scholarship was limited to Abakaliki Local Government Area, the 2026 edition was expanded to cover the entire Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone.
“At present, we have about 250 undergraduate beneficiaries, including students studying Medicine, Engineering, Law and other professional courses in various universities,” he said. “We are grateful to God for this opportunity and we pray the foundation will continue for as long as we live.”
He further announced plans to enhance accountability in subsequent editions by paying tuition fees directly to educational institutions instead of releasing cash to beneficiaries.
Delivering a keynote address, Professor Nkechinyere Emma Echiegu described the scholarship scheme as timely, noting that it comes at a period of severe economic strain on families and students.
She warned beneficiaries against complacency, stressing that academic excellence, discipline and good character must accompany financial support.
“Receiving a scholarship is one thing; justifying it through discipline and excellence is another,” she said. “You must be outstanding in both character and learning. Character, in fact, opens more doors.”
Echiegu also urged parents to give sustained moral support to their children and encouraged students to acquire vocational and functional skills alongside formal education to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Nkwegu Virginia, a 100-level Law student from Abakaliki Local Government Area, described the scholarship as a lifeline following the death of her father earlier in the year.
“This support means everything to my family,” she said. “It has lifted a huge burden off us and given me hope to continue my legal education.”
Another beneficiary, Mathar Ezike, who received ₦120,000, assured stakeholders that the funds would be used strictly for educational purposes, dismissing fears of misuse.
The MSL Foundation noted that its interventions extend beyond education, encompassing skills acquisition programmes, youth empowerment initiatives and financial support for small-scale businesses as part of its grassroots development drive.
In their separate remarks, APC State Secretary, Charles Ofoke, Mr. Chibuike Orogwu and other stakeholders commended the foundation for its sustained investment in education, describing the initiative as a strategic effort to reduce educational inequality and secure a brighter future for young people in Ebonyi State.
