Dr. Monday & Ebi Okonny Foundation: A legacy for empowerment
Dr. Monday & Ebi Okonny Foundation works with communities to help young people in Nigeria continue their education and maximize their potential. The Foundation is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. Please note that the application period for the next school year (for monetary scholarships for youths between 16-18 from the Abua/Odual Communities) has now closed. Elizabeth Dibia is the 2022 scholarship award recipient, for more information click on the contact us page.
About Us:
Dr. Monday Peri Okonny was an educator, philanthropist, elder statesman and a pan Ijaw national activist. He obtained his post-secondary education from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria (B.A - 1964), Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada (B.J - 1974) and Syracuse University, New York, USA (M.Sc. and Ph. D - 1976).
He was passionate about the promotion and enhancement of Abua nationalism and the progress of ethnic minority rights in Nigeria. Over his lifetime, Dr. M. P. Okonny worked to enhance the educational development of Nigeria and enable access to quality education as the means to building a truly equitable society that closes the gap between the poor and the rich. He served on multiple boards and University councils, supported numerous philanthropic initiatives, fora, committees and was an avid public affairs commentator and public educational policy analyst and advisor.
Mrs. Ebi Ernesta Okonny obtained her B. A and M.Sc from Syracuse University, New York, USA and she worked at the Rivers State College of Education until her retirement.
Their children, Kitoye, Yani and Ima started the Dr Monday and Ebi Okonny Foundation to continue the legacy and work to enable Nigerian youths to achieve their educational potential.
Kitoye Ebire Okonny
Enighe Yani Wananyo Ugboma
Ima Aifiye Okonny
What we do, why we do it and how we do it...
Nigeria, is the most populous country in Africa and half its population is aged under 19 years. Enhancing the educational opportunities for students is at the core of the Dr Monday and Ebi Foundation.
In 2020, Nigeria's population was estimated at 206,139,589 people, which is equivalent to 2.64% of the world's total population. The United Nations projects that the overall population of Nigeria will reach about 401.31 million by the end of the year 2050.
Helping young people continue their education, successfully learn, and maximize their potential must be effectively pursued to accommodate the rapidly growing population of young people.
In 2020, about 43.49 percent of Nigeria's total population were aged 0 to 14 years. Many of these young people (especially girls from poor families) do not have equitable access to education.
The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics reported that in 2020 40% of Nigerians lived in poverty.
Dr. Monday and Ebi Okonny Foundation works hand in hand with communities in Nigeria to identify vulnerable youths who are most in need of educational support to meet their potential.
The Foundation works closely with communities to identify youths who are most in need of educational support.
The Foundation then works to open doors to education for the most vulnerable youths in the community, who would otherwise be unable to access quality education.
2023 - Scholarship Eligibility
Age - Must be 16 to 18
Origin - Must be from the Abua/Odual communities in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Education - Must be entering into the first year in a Nigerian Federal or State University.
Eligibility - Accurately complete an application form and submit to the foundation.
Screening - Successfully pass a screening that ensures the integrity of the selection process.