By Juliet Umeh
Nigeria’s technology talent pipeline is getting a major boost as the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation rolls out the Future Builders Fund—a scholarship and mentorship initiative designed to nurture the next generation of engineers, developers, and innovators fueling the country’s digital economy.
The fund, spearheaded by Moniepoint CEO Tosin Eniolorunda, targets brilliant but financially disadvantaged undergraduates studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEM, across seven federal universities.
Each beneficiary will receive full tuition, accommodation, a laptop, and a monthly stipend, alongside mentorship in innovation and leadership.
According to Eniolorunda, the programme was born out of a deep belief that education remains the strongest foundation for innovation-led national transformation.
“We are launching the Future Builders Fund to find and nurture the innovators who will shape Nigeria’s future. This initiative is about creating financial happiness through education — giving students from low-income backgrounds a fair chance to master skills and create solutions that can change lives,” Eniolorunda said.
Beyond funding, the initiative is designed as a talent accelerator — pairing beneficiaries with mentors, exposing them to hands-on projects, and cultivating problem-solving and design-thinking capabilities. Students will be selected from seven universities representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Calabar, University of Abuja, University of Maiduguri, and the University of Lagos.
The selection process, Eniolorunda explained, emphasizes academic merit, clarity of purpose, and financial need, culminating in a standardized test that evaluates critical thinking and technical potential.
Each recipient’s scholarship will be renewed annually based on academic performance and growth in leadership and technical skills.
This programme expands the Foundation’s ongoing contributions to Nigeria’s STEM ecosystem. In 2024, it donated a CAD/CAM laboratory worth over N100 million to OAU, and invested an additional N50 million in youth innovation initiatives — including the Nigerian’s Inter-School Robotics Competition and the UNILAG Management Students Entrepreneurship Challenge.
With the Future Builders Fund, the Foundation is setting the stage for a five-year scale-up that could establish a steady stream of STEM innovators capable of driving Nigeria’s transition from a consumer of technology to a creator of it.
“Nigeria’s digital future depends on young people equipped with the right tools, opportunities, and guidance,” Eniolorunda said.
“The Future Builders Fund ensures that no promising talent is wasted because of financial barriers.”
Applications are open until October 16, 2025, for eligible STEM students entering 200 level at participating universities.
