The Finatrade Foundation, the Charity wing of the Finatrade Group of Companies has awarded scholarship to 20 new students studying agricultural related courses in four public tertiary institutions in the country.
The institutions, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University for Development Studies and the University of Cape Coast have all been beneficiaries of the scheme since its inception.
At a ceremony to induct new students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Executive Secretary of the Foundation, Mr. John Awuni advised the students to aim at becoming agric-entrepreneurs instead of joining the thousands of students who go in search of jobs after graduating.
He said the current economic situation was a challenge to the youth to aim at identifying opportunities to start their private businesses.
“As beneficiaries of our scholarship scheme you should set yourself apart by aiming at becoming entrepreneurs after school and not joining the team of unemployed graduates out there,” he said.
Mr. Awuni indicated that since 2003 the Foundation had spent over GHC2 million Ghana cedis on over 250 students in the four Universities and pledged the commitment of the Foundation to continue with the programme.
In his view, despite the discovery of oil, the agricultural sector holds the key to the country’s quest for economic transformation and industrialization.
Professor Richard Akromah, the Provost of the College of Agric and Natural Resources, commended the Finatrade group for its continuous support to the University over the years, adding that, the model farm project, which KNUST was a beneficiary, was still in existence.
He hoped students in their third year would take advantage of the internship programme by the Foundation to have their hands on practical experience during their long vacation.
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Chairman for the occasion, Dr. Simon Fialor, reiterated the need for the students to study hard and live up to their name as “scholars”.
Dr. Fialor appealed to the Finatrade Group to increase the number of beneficiaries since the number of needy but brilliant students was increasing especially in his faculty.
He however called on other organizations to emulate the positive gesture by the Finatrade Foundation and come to the aid of other students experiencing similar situations.
Ms Philomena Asibu, on behalf of her colleagues, thanked the Foundation for the kind gesture and promised to ensure that the investment by the Finatrade Foundation achieved its purpose.
The Foundation presented cheques amounting to GHC 10,300.00, a certificate and a book written by Robert Nii Arday Clegg to both the new and continuing students
