The Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ian McConville, said this at a press briefing on the launch of the 2013/14 round of Australia Awards in Africa Scholarship Programme in Abuja on Thursday.
McConville said that apart from the 39 Awardees for postgraduate scholarships, 35 were awarded sponsorship for short courses while two others were selected for the Australian Leadership Award Scholarships (ALAS).
He said the leadership award scholarships included Masters-level scholarships along with additional leadership training and mentoring.
He said that 200 scholarships were available globally for Awardees who demonstrated strong leadership skills that could influence social and economic policy reform and development outcomes.
The high commissioner said the scholarship programme was an annual event with the short-term awards recently introduced, adding that there was a 30 per cent increase in the number of Nigerian awardees from 2011.
``This year, we have around 39 who have been awarded the Masters scholarships to go to Australia.
``All expenses are covered; air fees, health insurance, accommodation, and this is around a 30 per cent increase in number from last year.
``In addition, we have around 35 others who will be undertaking short course awards. So the programme is both for long and short term awards.
``It is awarded on a competitive basis across Africa but the good thing is that the Nigerian success rate has increased remarkably in the past year. It is an annual programme and we have just opened it up for short course awards.
``Most of the successful applicants are from the public sector, around 85 per cent, but it is open to the civil society as well because one of the key things and selection criteria is how the individual will come back and contribute towards Nigeria’s development.
``In other words, it is favouring those that are involved in the public sector or involved with NGOs that are working for the betterment of communities.
``The programme is a wonderful way to increase people to people exchanges between Nigeria and Australia.”
McConville also outlined the criteria for qualification for the awards given.
``In terms of the Masters programme, of course, you need to have an undergraduate degree; you also need to satisfy the core priority areas that Nigerian government has nominated.
``These include Agriculture, health, education and public policy; so they are four very broad areas.
``If you can satisfy those criteria, plus you have an undergraduate degree and you can demonstrate that you will be able to contribute and hope on your return to make Nigeria a better society that will make you a very strong candidate.”
He said through the creation of an alumni association, the embassy would monitor the progress of the awardees and ensure that they participated in Nigeria’s growth and development.
``It is going to be a process where there are expectations from all the awardees to demonstrate their commitment and contributions.”
He added that the number of Australian Development Awards available for African professionals had increased ``ten-fold” over the past three years with 1,000 African professionals from 51 eligible countries benefitting annually.
He said, ``One-quarter of Australian Development Awards were directed to Africa,”
According to McConville, the ward is open for equal participation among men, women and people with disability.
Reports say that 380 applications for Master’s degree are open for Africa and 20 PhD postgraduate scholarships in Agriculture commencing in 2014.
Six hundred short courses place in 17 specialised fields are available for 2013.
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