By Christian Njoku

PZ Wilmar Nigeria, a joint venture initiative working to revitalise Nigeria’s palm oil industry, has expressed concern over the low interest of students in agronomy.

The General Manager, Mr Vijaya Ananth, expressed the concern on Wednesday in Akamkpa, at the 2025 edition of the Wilmar Scholarship Award Ceremony.

Speaking at the event marking the 12th edition of the award, Ananth, urged youths of the host communities to develop interest in studying agronomy.

He urged parents in Akamkpa communities to encourage their wards to study agronomy in the universities so that they could become useful to the firm when the foreigners left.

The general manager said that the scholarship award was the company’s way of supporting the indigenes of the host communities.

“The scholarships attract a minimum of N200,000 each year, outside extra N50,000 for other charges depending on the school and the course.

“So far, no fewer than 450 youths have benefitted from our scholarships, 40 per cent of them are engineering students.

“Also, 25 per cent are in the medical sciences, nine per cent in management sciences, and seven per cent are in agriculture,” he said.

Ananth further said that the firm had established two primary and secondary schools to support the educational needs of the host communities.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Sen. Steven Odey, thanked the firm for the initiative, and urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity.

Odey urged the firm to sustain the programme, and improve on it for greater impacts, adding, “you are assured of the state government’s support”

Mr Okon Owuna, the Member representing Akamkpa I Constituency in the House of Assembly, commended the firm for its corporate social responsibility initiatives.

He urged PZ Wilmar to evolve other measures towards supporting the wellbeing of the people, saying, “you can consider expanding the scholarship scheme”

Obhot Agbor Ewa, the Paramount Ruler of Akamkpa, urged the 58 scholarship recipients to use the award as a launchpad to achieve greater heights in life.

“You must see this scholarship as an opportunity to prepare for the future. Don’t joke with it, don’t abuse it; don’t allow us to regret choosing you,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PZ Wilmar, a major player in the oil palm industry, produces about 1,000 metric tons of crude palm oil per day. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Ezugwu and Azubuike Okeh