NBC LAUNCHES A UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) Acting Principal, Prof. Godliving Mtui, College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM) Rector, Prof. Jaffari Kideghesho, College of Business Education (CBE) Rector, Prof. Emanuel Mjema and Institute of Finance Management (IFM) Deputy Rector Academic, Research and Consultancy, Dr. Imanueli Mnzava, sign a Tsh 300 million sponsorship deal from NBC Bank whereby 60 students will be sponsored in four universities during the 2018/19 academic year. A brief occasion was held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend. Looking on from sixth left is NBC Managing Director, Theobald Sabi, NBC Ag Board Chairman, Dar. Kassim Hussein and other NBC Directors.

NBC has launched a Higher Education Scholarship Programme involving four universities in the country, part of the bank’s three-tier corporate social responsibility policy which focuses on education, vocational skills and empowerment of businesses.

Under the scholarship package worth 300m shillings, which targets the disabled students and those from poor families but who qualify for university admission, 60 students will be sponsored during the 2018/19 academic year.

“We shall give first priority to disabled students who failed to secure loans from the Higher Education Loan Board, followed by those who come from economically vulnerable families,” said NBC Managing Director Theobald Sabi during the launch in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

The universities which have signed Scholarship Agreement with NBC are College of Business Education (CBE), Mweka Wildlife College, Institute of Finance Management (IFM), and Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE).

According to the NBC Managing Director, the selection process for students legible for the scholarship will be conducted by the respective colleges.

The managing director reaffirmed NBC’s dedication to education, noting:“ we believe that education is the master key to success in life and this scholarship package will enable our youth to access education, develop their professionally and contribute to the development of the country.”

The NBC Higher Education Scholarship Programme is scheduled to be rolled out in three phases taking off with the just-launched one for the 2018/19 academic year covering 60 students, followed by phase two and phase three for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years respectively.

The scholarship launch has come at as a relief, being staged at the backdrop of increasing demand for enrollment in universities, with competition for loans from the Higher Education Loan Board is stiffening considerably.

“It is our expectation that this investment in higher education scholarship for our Tanzanian youth will benefit those who will be enrolled by participating colleges,” said the NBC Managing Director Sabi.

“One of the preconditions for sustained benefit from this programme is for the selected youth to ensure they score high in their studies in order to qualify for renewed in sponsorship under this package.”

Speaking at the occasion, Acting Chairman for NBC Board of Directors, Dr. Kassim Hussein, said the launch was an integral part the banks responsibility to helping the community, citing other programmes as Wajibika and Business Clubs, both of which aim to empower Tanzanians economically.

The College of Business Education (CBE), Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Mjema, whose university is covered by the scholarship package, thanked NBC for the sponsorship, which he noted covered art and business cadres where it was difficult for students to secure loans.

Commenting on the NBC Higher Education Scholarship Programme, a student at CBE, Michael Mniko said the programme will go a long way to supplement government efforts to provide higher education. “ It should be noted that number of students who apply for loans annually is far in excess of available loan slots ,” he noted.