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Annie Okonkwo Foundation mentors Anambra students on digital skills
- Surefoot AfrikBg
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Madu Obi
The Annie Okonkwo Foundation, TAOF, established in memory of the late Senator, has mentored hundreds of students in Anambra State on career choices, particularly on digital skills to enable them meet the current life expectations.
At a seminar organized in partnership with the Anambra State government for the students in Awka, the chairman of Board of Trustees of the Foundation and wife of the late Senator, Mrs Chinyere Annie Okonkwo said the Foundation was established by her late husband as Agunechemba Scholarship Foundation, with emphasis on paying fees for students and offering them scholarships up to the university level.
The event, which was tagged, 'TAOF Career Seminar 2025', was in commemoration of the second anniversary of the death of Senator Annie Okonkwo, who represented Anambra Central senatorial zone.
In her emotion - filled remark, Mrs Okonkwo said: "My husband was a lover of education and used the Foundation to uplift many brilliant, but indigent students.
He was a man who loved education, but could not achieve it at a tender age because he lost his father at the age of 18 and had to take over his late father's business.
When he became successful, he started training other people through his Foundation. He was however able to attain educational height as he studied both in Nigeria and abroad. When he died, we changed the name to The Annie Okonkwo Foundation (TAOF).
The purpose of the seminar is, therefore, to extoll his legacies and mentor students on how to choose careers".
According to Mrs Okonkwo, the Foundation has been growing since her husband's death, adding that "today, it is not just about scholarships, but mentorship, career counseling, and health interventions."
She said that over 150 students have benefited from examinations support, while 3,000 people benefited from cardiovascular and cancer screening in Abuja and Katsina.
She said further: "The Foundation is ready to help students achieve their dreams. As students, do not lose focus. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God."
The programme director of the Foundation, Ms Success Smith described the event as a shift from the conventional classroom-to-exam model, but something more forward-thinking, and a conversation about real-world possibilities.
"This is about exposure. It’s about giving our students access to the kind of insights, industry, and inspiration that textbooks alone cannot offer. This is a product of collaboration — with the Anambra State Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC) and several other agencies working with us to make sure no student is left behind," Smith said.
In her keynote address, the chairman of the Anambra State Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Professor Nkechi Ikediugwu, commended the late Annie Okonkwo's legacies which had positively impacted on the lives of many students and their families.
She described the late Senator as a father, mentor and above all, a strong believer that education is the most powerful tool to change the life of every child in Nigeria.
She said: "He may no longer be with us in the physical but his vision and values lives on through the marvelous work of his foundation which continues to touch lives of students across the country.
Senator Okonkwo's foundation has become a beacon of hope for many young people who might not be privileged enough to gain education. From paying WAEC fees for students to providing scholarships, the foundation represents what it means to serve humanity through education.
His legacy lives on through the students who have big dreams of becoming prominent individuals in future, the teacher who refuses to give up on any child, the counselor who lends a listening ear and the principal who runs a school like an oasis of learning and hope.
You, the students, are the future Senator Okonkwo envisioned. Stay committed to your education and take pride in learning", she told the students.
You the school teachers, counselors and principals are urged to create safe space for students to learn, not just academically, but socially and emotionally.
Senator Okonkwo's legacy is a challenge to us all. We need more well-meaning Nigerians to uplift and to build an educational system where everyone has an equal chance to succeed. May we continue his great works with refreshed dedication and open hearts."