Fifty-seven financially disadvantaged students at public universities across from country, have secured scholarships that could keep them in class and reduce the risk of dropping out, following a new round of awards under National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc’s Mo Excellence Programme.
The bank launched the latest phase of the programme at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) before extending it to Mzuzu University last week, where four students were among the beneficiaries.
Under the program, each student is receiving K1.7 million under the scholarship programme, covering tuition fees, accommodation, a laptop, health support, mentorship and a stationery allowance, while the five best-performing students at Mzuzu University are each receiving an additional K1 million.
NBM plc Director of the board at NBM plc, Bessie Nyirenda said the Bank recognises education as key to building the skills pipeline it depends on as an employer, adding that investing in students today helps prepare the professionals who will drive Malawi’s future workforce.
“Previously, we were only supporting the best-performing students, but we realised that there are many students who are needy. The Bank therefore decided to expand the programme and increase the number of beneficiaries so that we can also support government efforts in producing graduates who will form part of the future workforce,” said Nyirenda.
She further encouraged the beneficiaries to treat the scholarship as a responsibility that demands academic consistency and commitment to excellence.
In his remarks, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Mzuzu University, Simeon Gwayi, commended NBM plc for promoting excellence in higher education.
“By rewarding high-performing students, it improves excellence and the quality of education, as we want our programmes to produce graduates with relevant skills and attitudes as they enter the job market,” said Gwayi.
For the past 40 years, the scholarship programme only recognised the top five performing students from selected public universities, including the University of Malawi, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Catholic University of Malawi and Mzuzu University.
However, it has since expanded from 35 to 100 beneficiaries, now covering both full scholarship support for students’ basic needs and additional awards for top-performing students.
