RCE Greater Yenagoa - 2020

Location

GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA CDB OFFICE
NO. 32 CUSTOM ROAD BIOGBOLO, YENAGO, BAYELSA STATE
Nigeria
See map: Google Maps
NG
IMPROVING ACCESS TO POST GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR THE PEOPLE OF GBARAIN CLAN AND GBARANTORU COMMUNITY IN THE GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA GMOU CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT AREA THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Basic Information
Title of project : 
IMPROVING ACCESS TO POST GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR THE PEOPLE OF GBARAIN CLAN AND GBARANTORU COMMUNITY IN THE GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA GMOU CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT AREA THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Greater Yenagoa
Contributing organization(s) : 
1. GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA CLANS’ SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
2. GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT BOARD
3. COMMUNITY INTER-RELATIONS AND CONCILIATION INITIATIVE
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
PROF. TUEMI ASUKA
Organizational Affiliation: 
GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
E-mail: 
tuemiasuka@yahoo.co.uk
Name: 
MR. PROFIT BIBOBARA
Organizational Affiliation: 
GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT BOARD
E-mail: 
bibobarap@gmail.com
Name: 
SIR ANTHONY W. LAWRENCE
Organizational Affiliation: 
COMMUNITY INTER RELATIONS AND CONCILIATION INITIATIVE
E-mail: 
tonylawrence942@gmail.com
Format of project: 
MANUSCRIPT
Language of project: 
ENGLISH
Date of submission:
Update
Web link: 
http://www.circi-ngo.org/
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
https://education.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NATIONAL-POLICY-ON-EDUCATION.pdf
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Nigeria
Address of focal point institution for project: 
MR. PROFIT BIBOBARA
CHAIRMAN, GBARAIN/EKPETIAMA CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT BOARD
BIGBOLO
BAYELSA STATE
NIGERIA
Ecosystem(s):
Urban/Peri-urban, Wetlands
Target Audience:
Community, Higher
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Greater Yenagoa consists of people who are, mostly, fisher folks and subsistence farmers. Most of the people are poor and have always asked for financial support to help them develop sustainably. There are still many youths not in school and others who cannot further their education due to finance.

There is the presence of a number of international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the area such as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
1. Poor awareness on sustainable development issues and how they can contribute towards a better quality of life, this was achieved through community sensitization during the needs assessment.
2. Majority of people are poor and lack finance to invest in businesses and educational pursuit.
3. Many youths prefer to do the available semi-skilled jobs rather than look for money for further education
4. Youth restiveness due to idleness, over time more youths will be involved.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
September, 2017
Rationale: 
The leadership of Gbarian and Ekpetiama clans and the Cluster Development Board engaged the beneficiary communities, for acceptance to spend a portion of the funds accruing to the communities from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and her Joint Venture Partners (JV Partners), as committed to in the Global Memorandum of Understanding by the parties, to implement a post graduate scholarship scheme at the Masters and Doctor of Philosophy levels. This is aimed at motivating intelligent members of the communities that can benefit from this scheme to avail themselves and achieve their potentials for the good of their individual selves and the clans at large.
This scheme is significant in the following ways:
a) It will produce high level manpower in different fields at the Masters and Doctorate degree levels for employment opportunities and growth in different sectors of work organizations.
b) Graduates of the scheme will constitute the future knowledge elites improving the knowledge economy of the clans and the state at large.
c) The overall effect of this is an enlightened and highly critical human group that would positively contribute to the sustainable development of their clans and communities.
Objectives: 
Project Goal:
Improve the number of highly educated and well qualified persons in Gbarain/Ekpetiama clans for high level employment/appointments.
Project Objectives:
The specific objectives of the scholarship scheme are:
a) To enable qualified and intending first degree and masters degree certificate holders from Ekpetiama and Gbarain clans to run masters and doctor of philosophy degree programmes in the sciences, allied sciences, behavioural sciences, arts, management sciences, medicine, law and Engineering in Nigerian Universities.
b) To produce educated manpower from the above areas of study and to make them become self-reliant and contribute to community and national development.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
There are eleven (11) communities in total, ten (10) of them from Gbarain clan namely: Agbia, Nedugo, Ogboloma, Ayama, Okotiama, Obunagha, Okolobiri, Kumboama, Koroama and Polaku while Gbarantoru is the only community benefiting from the Ekpetiama clan.
Each community was given two spaces for Masters Degree and one space for PhD.
The King and leadership of the clans nominated and inaugurated a seven man committee of trusted and reputable people to manage the process with Gbarain/Ekpetiama CDB, SPDC, Bayelsa State Government and NGO.
Notice for interested candidates to apply for consideration was made in all the affected communities and in radio stations.
Candidates for the scholarship scheme collected application form from the Community Scholarship Committee and submitted back the completed forms along with the agreed credentials.
Selection of successful candidates was in line with the preset criteria. Merit, accountability and transparency were the watchwords throughout the exercise.
Size of academic audience: 
22 MASTERS AND 11 PHD BENEFICIARIES
Results: 
Out of the 22 Masters and 11 PhD beneficiaries, 16 of the Masters degree beneficiaries have concluded their programme already. This is 73% of the Masters degree awardees. The remaining 6 candidates are rounding up their programme. All the PhD candidates are progressing successfully.
Below are feed-back from two of the candidates who have completed their degree programmes:

Angalapu Deingiyefa
COMMUNITY: Okotiama
M.Sc degree student in Developmental studies
The scholarship has afforded me the opportunity to attend notable academic conferences and I have published articles in good journals. The scholarship award has provided a great relief to me in my pursuit of academic excellence.
Barnabas Goodluck Tarila
COMMUNITY: Polaku
MEd degree student
The Scholarship award has made my financial burden in the university lighter and my mind is better focused on academic issues. I have acquired new research, communicating and reasoning skills.
Lessons learned: 
1. Aggressive advertising of the project before implementation so that many eligible candidates will apply.
2. Ensuring that funds for the projects are secured and safeguarded before the commencement of project and are not used for other urgent activities.
Key messages: 
1. Empower community members through financial and educational support
2. Involvement of the community leadership and consultation of the broad-based community stakeholders.
3. Allocation is equally shared to all the communities, but the best applicants in each community is awarded.
4. Beneficiaries have glowing comments on how the scheme has improved their lot.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
1. Project supports RCE efforts to financially empower community members.
2. Project supports community human capacity development.
3. Project contributes towards a knowledge driven economy and is moving communities away from a dependent population.
Funding: 
FUNDING IS 100% BY SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF NIGERIA LIMITED WITH HER JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS
References and reference materials: 
File IMPROVING ACCESS TO POST GRADUATE EDUCATION THROUGH AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIPS BY GBARAIN EKPETIAMA CLANS 2017 TO 2020.docx
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Direct
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
Yes