Twenty-four-year-old Nigerian doctor,
Toluwalase Awoyemi and 20-year-old Ghanaian
statistician, Emmanuelle Dankwa have emerged
winners of the 2018 Rhodes Scholarships for
West Africa.


The duo will be joining 93 other “scholar-elects”
from around the world to commence studies at
the prestigious University of Oxford, United
Kingdom in October next year.


Dankwa and Awoyemi came out tops among the
15 most qualified candidates that made the final
shortlist. A total of 2,948 applications were
received from intending scholars across the
region out of which 244 that graduated with a
First-Class degree or its equivalent made it to
the next round. Through further screening and
in-person interviews the number was eventually
scaled down to 15.


Rhodes Scholars are chosen on the basis of the
criteria set down in the Will of Cecil John
Rhodes, who established the scholarships in
1903. Academic excellence is a major
prerequisite for selection but it is only a
threshold condition. Other important criteria
include moral force of character, commitment to
service and the instinct to lead.


“It was a keenly contested award,” said Ndidi
Nwuneli, Founder of Leap Africa and a member
of the West Africa Selection Committee. “All
fifteen finalists were remarkably brilliant with
outstanding individual qualities but we could
only select two. For Emmanuelle and
Toluwalase, this is an award well deserved, and
we have no doubt that they will go on to excel
in their chosen field of study and do the
continent proud.”


Sangu Delle, Chairman of Golden Palms
Investments Corporation (GPI) and also a
member of the Selection Committee noted:
“Originally, the West African Scholarship for
2018 was intended for one scholar. However,
with the exceptional brilliance demonstrated by
all the finalists, it was decided that two scholars
will be selected but this did not make the job
any less difficult for the Selection Committee.”
Dankwa graduated with First Class Honours in
Mathematics and Statistics from the University
of Ghana in July 2017, and currently serves as a
Teaching Assistant at the Department of
Statistics in the same institution. While an
undergraduate she founded a plastic waste
recycling advocacy group, which not only
enlightened the university community on the
benefits of recycling waste but was actively
involved in collection and removal of plastic
waste from the university campus through a
partnership with the local government and some
plastic recycling firms.


Awoyemi holds a Bachelor of Medicine and
Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) degree from the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He graduated in
August 2016 as the Best Medical Student in his
set, and was a recipient of 19 prizes at the
institution’s convocation ceremony. He is
passionate about healthcare delivery in Nigeria,
and as Programmes Director of CHECK – a non-
governmental organisation involved in health
education, screening and diagnosis – he has
organised over 25 medical outreach programmes
to undeserved areas and communities in
Nigeria.


The Rhodes Scholarships cover all university
and college fees for Dankwa and Awoyemi, a
personal stipend for room and board, health
insurance and travel, as well as the costs of the
Rhodes Leadership Development Programme at
Rhodes House. Depending on their course of
study, the total value of the scholarship could
range from £50,000 to £60,000 per annum, with
the average tenure for a Rhodes Scholar being 3
years.


Responding to the award, Dankwa, who intends
to study Statistical Science in her first year at
Oxford, said: “I am deeply honoured to be
selected for this prestigious scholarship. It is,
indeed, a rare opportunity, and I am determined
to make the most of it for my personal
advancement and, ultimately, for the betterment
of my country and the world in general.”
On his part, Awoyemi, who is opting for
International Health and Tropical Medicine as
his preferred course of study, said: “I am truly
grateful to my alma mater, the University of
Ibadan, for helping me develop into the scholar
that I am, and to the Rhodes Trust for the
opportunity to further my learning at the
University of Oxford. I feel like the entire
continent is looking up to me, and I promise to
work very hard to maximize this opportunity for
my development and for the good of our
people.”


The National Secretary for West Africa and a
1989 Rhodes Scholar, Ike Chioke, said: “As a
beneficiary of the scheme, I am delighted that
the 24-year campaign for the re-reinstatement of
the scholarships in the region has been realised,
with the emergence of these two awardees. We
must continue to provide young people with
opportunities to develop to their full potential
through quality education. This is the surest
way to secure the future of the African
continent.”


The Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa was
launched in May 2018, and it is open to students
from Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde,
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory
Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria,
the island of Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, São
Tomé and Principe, and Togo. “Assuming two
scholars are selected from the region each year,
over time up to six scholars in residence will be
supported at a total of approximately £510,000
per year,” Chioke noted.


The new West Africa scholarships are part of a
wider geographic expansion of the Rhodes
Scholarships. The total number of Scholarships
awarded each year will increase from 83 to 95,
including new Scholarships in China, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Palestine, Syria, the
United Arab Emirates and West Africa. This
increases the number of Rhodes Scholars
studying at the University of Oxford at any one
time to approximately 250.

www.thepost-ng.com/nigerian-doctor-ghanaian-statistician-win-rhodes-scholarships/

sir Lalasticlala,
please,let the world know about this. Thank you.

Congratulations to Toluwalase Awoyemi for doing Nigeria proud. He should be a good ambassador of the country during the period of his scholarship.