12 lucky students gets N5.4M scholarship grant from Indomie

L-R: Group Head, Public Relations and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc. Temitope Ashiwaju; Dufil Postgraduate Scholarship Award Coordinator, Prof. Babatunde Oguntona; Brand Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc. Onome Asagbra.

Dufil Prima Foods Plc makers of Nigeria’s no one noodles, Indomie is the first and only corporate organization sponsoring post-graduate nutrition education in Nigeria with its Dufil Postgraduate scholarship award. This is to contribute to the improvement of the Nutritional status of all Nigerians and enhance adequately trained manpower in the field of Nutritional Sciences.

Dufil Postgraduate scholarship award was instituted in 2009 for Nigerian students studying Nutrition and Dietetics at the Master’s Degree level. The success and impact of the scholarship to the students and nutritional sciences at large has spurred the continuance of the program.

According to the Group Head, Public Relations and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc., Mr. Temitope Ashiwaju, the overall goal of the scholarship is to improve the nutritional status of Nigerians in a sustainable manner. Specifically, the scholarship programme aims to assist in the training of high level nutritional and dietetic manpower in the country.

“It is hoped that over a period of time this will produce a critical mass of highly trained nutritionists that will sustainably chart and guide the way for optimum nutrition for all Nigerian,” Ashiwaju added.

At the back, from left to right: Group Head, Public Relations and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc. Temitope Ashiwaju; Dufil Postgraduate Scholarship Award Coordinator, Prof. Babatunde Oguntona; Brand Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc. Onome Asagbra flanked by beneficiaries of the post graduate scholarship in Lagos.

Twelve MSc students were awarded scholarship for the 2017/2018 academic session and the beneficiaries studying Nutrition, Dietetic and related courses were at the corporate office of Dufil in Lagos, they all collected a cheques of N450, 000.00 each. The twelve recipients who were drawn from a pool of numerous entries across the six geo-political zones of the country are: Abdulahi Abubakar (Kano), Adedipe Elisabeth (Ondo), Awosanya Mubarakat (Ogun), Awotunya Ebunoluwa (Ekiti), Babatunde Odunayo Esther (Oyo), Iheme Gideon Onyedikach (Abia) and Iyekekpolor Christiana Imuetinyan (Edo). Others are: Joseph Aaron Nenrot (Plateau), Njoku Onyekachi Jennifer (Imo), Okonkwo Elizabeth Monday (Akwa Ibom), Otunla Adetola Titilayo (Osun) and Yahuza Asiya Salman (Kaduna).

The coordinator of the schorlaship scheme since inception, Professor Babatunde Oguntona, thanked DUFIL Prima Foods for the smooth running and consistency of the scholarship award. Explaining the aim of the scholarship, Prof. Oguntona said the scheme is meant to promote the study of nutrition in Nigeria. “Nutrition is the bedrock of medicine and healthy living starts with the kind of food we consume.”

Also speaking at the cheque presentation, the Brand Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Onome Asagbra said that Dufil Prima Foods, beyond producing variety of premium products also promotes this kind of initiative and this is also a side of the brand that the company wants the world to see. In his words, “The scholarship scheme is a noble course the brand is pleased to be associated with, as it serves as a means of giving back to the society, in order to produce highly trained nutritionists that would drive development in the food sector.” He further encouraged the awardees to be more committed to their studies.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Ms. Yahuza Asiya Salman thanked the company and promised to make the best use of the opportunity given to them. She said that “Dufil Prima Foods Plc. has taken the burden of financing our post graduate program off us by giving us this scholarship, this will enable us focus solely on giving our best to the study of nutrition. We hope to make astounding discovery and solutions to nutrition and diet challenges in the society.”