Benue State University, Makurdi

A Lecturer in the Benue State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Mrs. Asoo Dorcas Yaji has been awarded a scholarship worth Thirty Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty One Thousand Naira by the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, for a Ph.D programme.

The scholarship award is the result of a partnership between Benue State University’s Centre for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER) and the National Resource Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich, entered into through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

In a formal communication to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Msugh Moses Kembe, informing him of the scholarship offer, the Team Leader of CEFTER, Dr. Barnabas Ikyo disclosed that, “This is part of benefit from the partnership between CEFTER and Natural Resource Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich for which you signed an MoU.

“The funding is valued at (£84,000), amounting to Thirty Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty One Thousand, One Hundred and Twelve Naira, Seventy Five Kobo (N33,851,112.75).”
The Centre Leader also prayed the Vice-Chancellor to direct the University Registrar to process a four year study leave (which is the duration of study for the programme) to enable the awardee take up the offer.

An astute perusal of the letter of offer from the University of Greenwich shows that Mrs. Yaji has been scheduled to commence the full Time Mphil/Ph.D Food Science and Marketing Economics in the Faculty of Engineering and Science on 3rd February, 2020.

Further details show that she will be expected to put in a minimum of 35 Hours per week while on the research programme with 26 days of Annual Leave, “excluding Bank and Public holidays”.

Mrs. Yaji’s Research title for the PhD programme which has earned her the scholarship award is “Host-plant interactions of Neonectria galligena and apple.”