The Executive Director of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation, Dr. Dominic Eduah, says the local scholarship programme will offer 1,000 scholarships to Ghanaians in 2023.

Speaking at this year’s end-of-year media engagement in Takoradi, Dr. Dominic Eduah, said the GNPC Foundation Board of Trustees has already ordered for the local scholarship portal that was suspended for some reasons to be opened in January for qualified applicants to apply.

“Let me announce that the Board of Trustees of the Foundation has given clearance for the local scholarship portal to be opened next year for eligible needy but brilliant students to apply. I think this announcement will bring to finality to the numerous questions most parents have been asking staff and management of the Foundation at any given opportunity”, he said.

In addition to the Foundation previously offering 5,550 scholarships to brilliant but needy Ghanaians to pursue various undergraduate, post-graduate, and PhD programmes in Ghanaian tertiary institutions, he also said the Ghanaian youth in the informal sector has not been left out.

“Through the Economic Empowerment Unit of the Foundation, 2,450 artisans from both technical and domestic trades were supported to write their National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Proficiency examinations. Four hundred of these artisans have been equipped with start-up tools to commence their artisanal journeys while the remaining artisans are scheduled to receive their start-up tools in 2023. These artisans were from rural and peri-urban communities in the Western, Western North, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. Let me announce that all artisans who have successfully passed the NVTI Proficiency I & II examinations in 2022 are to receive their start-up tools within the first quarter of 2023. Names of all successful artisans will be published on the Foundations’ website for verification. Training programmes have also been earmarked for fishermen and other small and medium enterprises next year”, he added.

Recounting the contributions of the GNPC Foundation to government’s infrastructural project, Dr. Eduah said a lot of successes have already been recorded in the provision of water, school, sanitary and sporting infrastructure.

“The GNPC Foundation, through its Environment and Social Amenities Unit, has over the past 5 years sponsored the construction of 702 borehole facilities in rural and peri-urban communities. A considerable number of these boreholes are in the northern parts of the country. We have also funded the construction of educational facilities such as 141 classroom blocks for use in basic and senior high schools, 11 dormitory blocks, and 8 science laboratories for senior high schools. In addition, the Foundation has funded the construction of 86 sanitary facilities in communities, schools, and markets across the country and 32 community pitches have been developed into standard astro turf facilities across Ghana for our youth. Most of these projects have been completed and handed over to the beneficiaries, while the remaining projects are at advanced levels of completion. Let me say that measures have been put in place to ensure that next year most ongoing projects such as classroom blocks, boreholes, astro turfs, dormitories and sanitary facilities in various communities will be completed and handed over for use by the beneficiaries”, he noted.

Dr. Dominic Eduah thanked the media for their support.