In furtherance of its 16-year contributions to educational development in the state, Inoyo Toro Foundation has collaborated with Savannah Energy Plc, to offer cash prize rewards to 22 teachers and scholarship awards to 50 undergraduates in Akwa Ibom State.

The teachers’ awards ceremony which happened over the weekend, has been an annual flagship event of Inoyo Toro Foundation in the last 16 years. The 2023 edition has been expanded to include an undergraduate scholarship programme sponsored by Savannah Energy Plc., christened Savannah Energy Education and Internship Training (SEE-IT) Programme.

The scholarship is for 50 undergraduates, with individual amount ranging between N750,000 to N1,500,000 per session, per student.

While Inyene Amos Peter of Saints’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikot Oku Mfang in Abak LGA emerged the 2023 Grand Mentor in English Language and carted home an excellence award and prize of N500,000; Utibe Raphael Udoh of Abiakpo Community Secondary School, Ikot Ukana, Obot Akara LGA won the 2023 Grand Mentor Teachers’ Award in Mathematics and returned home with an excellence award and prize of N500,000.

Other winners in the Grand Mentor Awards category who smiled home with N500,000 cash prizes were Ime Unyime Ikpe of Etinan Institute, Etinan, for Chemistry; Emem Mfon Usanga of Unity Model College, Obongntong, Nsit Ibom LGA, for Physics; and Idorenyin Oscar Jacob of Community Secondary School, Afaha Obo, Ukanafun LGA, for Biology.

Similarly, Uko Edet Udo, Principal of Uyo High School, Uyo, Ekaeyen Udoma Okpongete, Principal of QIC Secondary School, Ika Anang, Oruk Anam LGA, and Ime Johnson Akpakwa, Principal of Community Secondary School, Aka Offot, Uyo LGA won first, second and third prizes under the principals’ award category and rejoiced home with N500,000, N300,000 and N250,000, respectively.

The subject category winners for English Language were Edemeka Emmanuel Ebukiba, first position; Patience Blaise Umoh, 2nd position; and Nsemeke Saturday Unanam, 3rd position. For Biology, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners were Ekpeno Etiese Usanga, Edidiong Francis Amos and Magnus Desmond Udo, respectively.

Uduak Udo Umoh of Community Secondary School, Mkpat Enin LGA won the first-place award and prize of N250,000 in Physics and Utibe August Iwat of Comprehensive Secondary School, Ukpom, Ikono LGA carted home similar award and prize, having emerged first in Chemistry.

For Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, the second and third place awards and prizes went to Joy Cletus Umoh and Imo Benedict Eboh; Dominic Raphael Udo and Michael Ekwere Ekpo; as well as Ekerete Mathias Udo and Idongesit Aloysius Nkorok, respectively.

While majority of the scholarship beneficiaries were Akwa Ibom undergraduates at the University of Uyo, a few others were students at Akwa Ibom State University – Ikot Akpaden, Federal University of Technology – Ikot Abasi, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, David Umahi Federal University of Health Science and Bayelsa State Medical University, Yenogoa.

The Chairman of Inoyo Toro Foundation’s Screening and Award Committee, Prof. Enobong Joshua, elaborated on the vigour of the screening process, explained further on commitment to promote quality education, and added that the strides of Inoyo Toro Foundation in the last 16 years “have been striving supplement to the efforts of the Akwa Ibom State Government in its educational development.”

On his part, the Managing Director, Savannah Energy Plc, Mr. Oladopo Durotoye charged the fifty undergraduate beneficiaries to utilize and sustain the scholarship through hard work as they would be periodically given opportunity for internship programme within and outside Nigeria. He described the Savannah Energy Education and Internship Training (SEE-IT) as “a veritable platform for building a pool of talented Akwa Ibom students for the future”.

The Ceremony’s Guest Speaker, Mr. Clement Isong, Jnr. thanked the sponsors for teachers’ awards and the scholarship awards and expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would make best use of the opportunities. Sponsors of various award categories were commended for their consistent support over the years.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pst. Umo Bassey Eno celebrated Inoyo Toro Foundation’s impactful contributions to quality education in Akwa Ibom State, in the last 16 years. The Governor, represented by Akwa Ibom’s Education Commissioner, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, particularly commended the partnership between Inoyo Toro Foundation and Savannah Energy and urged both organizations not to relent in their support towards the advancement of education in Akwa Ibom State.

With the 22 latest beneficiaries, the total number of Akwa Ibom teachers and principals so far rewarded with cash prizes by Inoyo Toro Foundation in the last sixteen years, stands at 299 teachers and 8 principals. Similarly, over 3,520 teachers have been trained, over 5,350 students have been mentored and over 90 schools in Akwa Ibom State have been positively impacted through the works of the Foundation.

In the last sixteen years, Inoyo Toro Foundation has remained consistent in the development of capacities in Akwa Ibom State, with beneficiaries cutting across various spheres including teachers, students, schools, libraries, laboratories, lawyers, journalists, medical workers, techies, film makers, writers, actors and actresses, entrepreneurs, youths and women across various communities. The partnership with Savannah Energy Plc has further enlarged the vista for greater intervention towards fostering quality education in Akwa Ibom State.