Okocha offers Bolton University scholarships to 10 Nigerian youths

SUPER Eagles' former captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, has teamed up with the University of Bolton to provide scholarships to 10 enterprising students from Nigeria.



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According to a release by Okocha's agents, the scholarships worth £2,000 each will be offered to students with a drive to succeed and emulate the success that the Bolton Wanderers' former skipper had while playing for the Premier League team.

The release said the scholarships would provide a valuable structure of financial support to ensure that students of all backgrounds in Nigeria could enjoy the benefits of higher education at the University of Bolton. The beneficiaries will also receive special personally signed congratulatory letters from Okocha as well as 10 Bolton Wanderers Premier League season tickets of 15 matches, it said.

In 2008, the Times magazine ranked the University of Bolton joint third out of 130 universities in the United Kingdom. The university offers a full and challenging range of courses ranging from computers, engineering, business, social sciences to health.

Representatives of the institution will be in Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) from the 6th to 15th of this month to issue on the spot offers and discuss the scholarship opportunities. According to the Head of International Recruitment, Jeffrey Williams, "this scholarship is an exciting opportunity for students and something they will have on their resume for ever.

"It is great that Jay Jay Okocha is helping young students reach their dreams by studying in the UK, with most students choosing to return to Nigeria post their study and work experience, it can only mean good things for Nigeria's future."

The Vice Chancellor, Dr. George Holmes, noted: "I really enjoy seeing and meeting Nigerian students on campus, their passion for study and life in general is second to none."

Nice move. However I am not sure if 2kpounds is enough to get a decent university education. It may need the back up of some other companies, or government in my opinion. Unless off-course it is some 3weeks course or something.

It is a scholarship and doesnt means the cost of the entire education, it is just a boost to whatever the student already has

Fhemmmy:

It is a scholarship and doesnt means the cost of the entire education, it is just a boost to whatever the student already has

You are right. I am still of the believe that more can be done. But not to digress, kudos to Okocha though.

ElRazur:

You are right. I am still of the believe that more can be done. But not to digress, kudo to Okocha though.

Yeah, kudos to him, let us wait and see our yeye govt do something too

kudos to okocha but i have to got to say this - The average cost of an overseas student including accomodation and food is about £12000 per year. £10000 is big margin for an individual to make up and it does not include flights, clothing and beer money.

a big margin but still a start.

Well done Jay Jay - every little counts.

Commendable act Jay Jay, Respect, I have always said it, For a long time the most patriotic Nigerians are Nigerian sport men and women, They give their best to the Nation, Nigerians should continue to hold sportmen and women in high esteem.

blacksta:

kudos to okocha but i have to got to say this - The average cost of an overseas student including accomodation and food is about £12000 per year. £10000 is big margin for an individual to make up and it does not include flights, clothing and beer money.

Remove the beer money, how much have do we needn?

Kudos to Okocha for putting his name forward

but to me this is purely a commercial move by the university, funding from the govt has be frozen and recruiting international student fees seems to be their way out, the amount of local students applying for a place in higher institution has gone up this year no thanks to the recession- one would expect them to be doing all they can to accommodate more locals-just think of the 'new' money coming into the local economy-housing, pubs, bookstores,
grocery stores! damn free money!

Much props to Okocha.

We need more rich and well-to-do Nigerians to get involved in philanthropy. Helping strangers and non-family relations is not as ingrained in the current day Nig elite circles.

I can't help but wonder, though, if the money Okacha is putting forward could be better spent otherwise. Would it have made more sense or generated greater benefit if it was used to sponsor more kids to some Nig university? Just a thought, I won't fault Okocha for spending his money however he decides to. Unlike most, at least he is trying to help out some strangers.

Good. I wish they extend their largess to Nigerians living in Nigeria.

Aloy.Emeka:

Good. I wish they extend their largess to Nigerians living in Nigeria.

Hotfunmi
Tell your government to do that for you and your suffering and smiling brothers.

God bless you, Jay Jay. It is so kind of you to remember the less priviledged in a society where even those who loot our common heritage restrict the enjoyment of their loot to members of their family and close associates.

tarano:

Commendable act Jay Jay, Respect, I have always said it, For a long time the most patriotic Nigerians are Nigerian sport men and women, They give their best to the Nation, Nigerians should continue to hold sportmen and women in high esteem.

With the exception of Hakeem Olajuwon.

desgiezd:

With the exception of Hakeem Olajuwon.

Why the exception?

Good one, i thought he was never ready to help his fellow Nigerians,

honeric01:

Good one, i thought he was never ready to help his fellow Nigerians,

How did you come about such thought?

Kudos to him.

desgiezd:

With the exception of Hakeem Olajuwon.

On reading your response again, my head went crazy.
I mean, what more do you expect from these real patriots other than keeping nigeria's image in good light wherever they are plying their trades?
Does Olajuwon owe you more than your leaders who have been embezzling your own money since time immemorial?

Why exactly do you think he doesnt deserve to be held in high esteem? Or, are you using Kanu as a yardstick?

nuzo:

Why the exception?

This is a guy that made a lot of money and fame while he was active, till today he has not helped anybody either in basketball where he excelled or in any other area as Jay Jay is doing now.

honeric01:

Good one, i thought he was never ready to help his fellow Nigerians,  

Since you refused to answer the question I asked, I would advise you to put more pressure (that's if you had even put a little before) on your leaders so they can do the jobs they were paid to do instead of asking people who have done so much for the country to come and do your leader's jobs.

If you ask me, I will say; give back to the community (UK) they gained from and not to the one who has taken everything from them.
Do you know that a huge chunk of Okocha's money is frozen in the failed nigerian banks of which your greedy leaders were recently named as people who failed the banks?
Do you also know that the FG is asking the old man to come out of retirement and play for nigeria?

What exactly do nigerians want?

desgiezd:

This is a guy that made a lot of money and fame while he was active, till today he has not helped anybody either in basketball where he excelled or in any other area as Jay Jay is doing now.

This is ridiculous!
How did you arrive at such conclusion?

That means you were not reading stories about him when he was active otherwise you wouldn't have been asking how I came about the conclusion. Even Oladimeji who started playing basketball after him has done a lot in helping young players in that field.

By the way, he is not obliged to help anybody but I mentioned his name to show that it is not all Nigerian sportsmen who have made it big that are favorably disposed to helping others but one thing is clear, the names of people like Kanu, Jay Jay continues to grow taller where others like that of Hakeem keep getting dwarfed.

desgiezd:

That means you were not reading stories about him when he was active otherwise you wouldn't have been asking how I came about the conclusion. Even Oladimeji who started playing basketball after him has done a lot in helping young players in that field.

By the way, he is not obliged to help anybody but I mentioned his name to show that it is not all Nigerian sportsmen who have made it big that are favorably disposed to helping others but one thing is clear, the names of people like Kanu, Jay Jay continues to grow taller where others like that of Hakeem keep getting dwarfed.

I hope you know many people who do a lot for charity don't like blowing their trumpet in public.
A recent example is many people only got to know after his death that Michael Jackson was in the guiness book of world records for being the popstar that has given most to charity

desgiezd:

That means you were not reading stories about him when he was active otherwise you wouldn't have been asking how I came about the conclusion. Even Oladimeji who started playing basketball after him has done a lot in helping young players in that field.

By the way, he is not obliged to help anybody but I mentioned his name to show that it is not all Nigerian sportsmen who have made it big that are favorably disposed to helping others but one thing is clear, the names of people like Kanu, Jay Jay continues to grow taller where others like that of Hakeem keep getting dwarfed.  

I was actually expecting you to give me a tangible proof, but all you did was tell me that ive not been reading junk stories from unanimous nigerian dailies.
Seriously, I thought you knew him personally, but now that I know you dont. . . . . .

On the other hand, you might be right on his lack of giving; but then again; he is not obliged to do so.

Nice one okocha.

jay bee:

I hope you know many people who do a lot for charity don't like blowing their trumpet in public.
A recent example is many people only got to know after his death that Michael Jackson was in the guiness book of world records for being the popstar that has given most to charity

I was chocked to hear that.
The guy was a true icon and his memory will live forever in many

nuzo:

but then again; he is not obliged to do so.

desgiezd stated that before

bandely:

desgiezd stated that before

More reason why he should be attacking his nigerian leaders than harassing a law abiding citizen who the nigerian nation might still be owing unpaid salary.

Thanks for reminding us though.

nuzo:

Since you refused to answer the question I asked, I would advise you to put more pressure (that's if you had even put a little before) on your leaders so they can do the jobs they were paid to do instead of asking people who have done so much for the country to come and do your leader's jobs.

If you ask me, I will say; give back to the community (UK) they gained from and not to the one who has taken everything from them.
Do you know that a huge chunk of Okocha's money is frozen in the failed nigerian banks of which your greedy leaders were recently named as people who failed the banks?
Do you also know that the FG is asking the old man to come out of retirement and play for nigeria?

What exactly do nigerians want?

i can see that you want to argue, before we start, tell me, what are the things you know J J did for his country apart from the football he played for us that you know (with fact). at least we can see what Kanu, Yobo and the sodje brothers are doing. did J J just make his money now that it's now he decided to start? i am not saying its too late, thats why i used the phrase "i thought he wasn't going to do anything for his fellow Nigerians" Kanu was still playing when he started his own help, look around African countries, top stars are doing something to help the poor around their country, most of them did not retire before starting, while playing, they started it.



bottomline, i am glad he has started, lets remove government from everything we say, this is an individual thing, abeg, we all know the government is not doing something, so must we always use them as an excuse not to give back to the country when we finally make it?

Why does you average nigerian comes across like one owe them something? (It appears that this is a human behaviour and not exclusive to us alone)