Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and Comrade Stan Nwodom - FON Scholars National Coordinator
By Victor Nwegede
In a decisive and forward-looking move, the Ebonyi State Scholarship Board has elected Comrade Stan Nwodom as the National Coordinator of Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, FON Scholars, a development widely celebrated by scholars across Nigeria and abroad.
The election, held at the Board’s headquarters in Ochudo Centenary City, Abakaliki, was supervised by the Executive Chairman, Secretary, and other top officials.
It marked a turning point in the management of the FON Scholarship scheme, which has sponsored hundreds of Ebonyi students in Nigerian and foreign universities under the leadership of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Comrade Stan Nwodom, a brilliant Biotechnology scholar currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Ebonyi State University, was overwhelmingly chosen to lead a newly instituted national executive body of scholars.
The decision followed an interactive session with scholars, where key issues such as delayed stipends, research funding, and student welfare were raised.
The Board responded by establishing formal leadership positions including National Coordinator, Secretary, and Public Relations Oficer to ensure better communication, accountability, and representation of the scholars' interests.
Nwodom, a native of Ekebeligwe Ishieke Village in Mbeke Autonomous Community under Mbeke Development Centre in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has a stellar academic record.
He earned his Master’s under the EU-funded Intra-Africa Mobility Programme, with international research stints at Kyoto University in Japan and the University of Namibia.
His leadership qualities and commitment to academic excellence made him the natural choice to coordinate the diverse network of FON scholars spread across six universities in Nigeria and abroad.
In a congratulatory message, Nkwegu Linus Kingsley, a fellow FON awardee, described Nwodom’s emergence as “a victory for all of us,” calling on scholars to rally behind him for the collective good of the academic community.
As National Coordinator, Comrade Stan Nwodom is expected to drive reforms that will enhance scholar engagement, ensure transparency in communication with the Scholarship Board, and uphold the values of excellence and service that define the FON Scholarship legacy.
His emergence signaled a new era of scholar-led advocacy, unity, and representation within one of the most ambitious state scholarship schemes in Nigeria.
