By Toyin Victor, ABUJA
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and former Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, has announced plans to establish a scholarship scheme for exceptional first-class students, with continued eligibility tied to sustained academic excellence.
Ikpeazu disclosed this during his 62nd birthday celebration and the Fifth Okezie Victor Ikpeazu Colloquium, organised by the Pa Ismael Ikpeazu Library and DOVI Scientific Leadership Centre. The event, themed “Empowerment Beyond Handouts: Building Responsible, Skilled and Self-Reliant Young People for Sustainable Development,” focused on building lasting opportunities for young people.
Under the proposed DOVIS Scholarship Scheme, beneficiaries would be expected to maintain high academic standards, with the award liable to suspension if their performance declined. However, details of the scheme’s launch date, funding arrangements, eligibility requirements and application process were not announced.
The ambassador argued that genuine empowerment must go beyond distributing money and material assistance to developing the knowledge, skills and practical experience young people need to become economically independent. He identified education, mentorship, enterprise support and access to resources as essential components of sustainable youth development.
Reflecting on his administration in Abia State, Ikpeazu cited agricultural empowerment programmes that established poultry clusters to train young people in commercial poultry production. The initiative provided facilities including poultry pens, feed stores and veterinary clinics, alongside expert instruction and practical farm management training to prepare beneficiaries to run independent businesses.
Delivering the keynote lecture virtually, Professor John Uzoma Ihendinihu, Professor of Accounting and Taxation at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said the success of empowerment programmes should be measured by the capacity they build rather than the value of items distributed. He called for an integrated approach combining education, vocational training, character development, mentorship, entrepreneurship support and access to markets.
Ihendinihu cited the Made-in-Aba campaign, international training opportunities for local artisans, the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company and the Enyimba Automated Garment Factory among initiatives associated with Ikpeazu’s administration. He said linking local production to institutional markets could help expand businesses, create employment and strengthen economic self-reliance.
Earlier, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, former spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and moderator of the colloquium, described Ikpeazu as a scholar, statesman, diplomat and public servant whose career had been shaped by scholarship, humility and service. He also traced the colloquium’s progression from discussions on the socio-economic future of Ndigbo and entrepreneurship to the challenges of designing empowerment programmes that deliver lasting results.
The ambassador expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him Nigeria’s envoy to Spain and commended the President’s economic reforms, which he said had placed the country on a positive economic trajectory. He also thanked his family, friends and political associates for their support throughout his academic, professional and political journey.
The colloquium ended with goodwill messages and tributes from guests who joined physically and virtually to celebrate Ikpeazu’s 62nd birthday. Its central message was that sustainable youth empowerment depends on equipping young people with the education, practical skills and opportunities to build independent livelihoods and contribute to national development.