As part of its corporate social responsibility, a fast rising hospitality outfit in Akwa Ibom State, Watbridge hotel and suites has announced it’s plan to launch a scholarship programme tagged, ‘Watbridge scholars’.
In a press conference by the General Manager of Watbridge, Otunba Sunday Ajayi at the hotel’s hall on Weekend, the scholarship programme is a novel idea of the outfit to encourage intelligent but indigent students in their educational pursuit.
Ajayi who noted that the management is proposing to sponsor between two or three students in every academic session from any discipline in any of the tertiary institutions in the state added that it would be purely on merit.
He stressed that one of the conditions for the beneficiaries is that they (Watbridge) will not pay for any ‘carryover’ course as the scholarship is for the bright students irrespective of tribe or state of origin.
ALSO READ Assent To HIV/AIDS Anti-Stigma Bill, Group Urges Emmanuel
He said, “In the coming days, we will be rolling out another novel idea called the Watbridge Scholar aimed at celebrating and supporting outstanding academic talents in the country so as to encourage pan-Nigerian affiliations and mutual coexistence.”
Reeling out the benefits of the scheme for the benefiting students, the GM said, ”the Watbridge scholars to be keenly selected based purely on merit will among other things enjoy financial support from the hotel, free use of our library, free stay at the Letters house, launch and other sundry incentives. We are promoting Watbridge scholars as encouragement for our students and youths”.
On the hotel’s agricultural value mart, Ajayi said Watbridge Farms since taken off, has created more jobs for the youths adding that the agricultural arm of the enterprise will deepen food sufficiency and value chain even as he noted that other partners in the industry do come to the farm to offtake some produce.
Also, the Head, Corporate Affairs of the hotel, Elizabeth Ogor said Watbridge Hotels was committed to expanding the frontiers of hospitality, adding that the hotel has brought more Nigerians and foreigners to Akwa Ibom and Akwa Ibom to the world.
She said with the roll out of the Watbridge Scholar, many more Nigerians will come to savour the beauty of the State.
Our correspondent reports that the hotel was the first in this part of world to introduce a guest library among its facilities. It also hosts Uyo Book Club, an intellectual community which reads every last Saturday of the month.
