Teacher Ita Education Trust Fund: Nurturing Dreams, Building Brighter Future for Cross River Students

By Isaac AQUA

In a country where many young dreams fade under the weight of financial hardship, the Teacher Essien Ita Itam Education Trust Fund has become a powerful symbol of hope. Known widely 

 as the Teacher Ita Scholarship Scheme, it continues to illuminate the path to education for indigent students across Cross River State.

Founded in 2014 by the late Barrister Temitope Ekpenyong Ita in memory of her father-in-law, the revered educationist Teacher Essien Ita Itam, the Trust Fund was born from a simple but enduring conviction that no brilliant child should be denied the gift of learning because of poverty.

More than a decade later, that noble vision continues to thrive under the leadership of her husband, Mr. Ekpenyong Essien Ita, former Director-General, Department of State Security Services, DSS. Through his stewardship, the foundation has expanded its reach across the Cross River South Senatorial District, transforming hundreds of lives through education.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, the foundation awarded scholarships to 57 students drawn from ten secondary schools across Calabar and surrounding communities. The comprehensive support covers tuition, textbooks, examination fees, and other learning essentials. With this new set of beneficiaries, the total number of students supported since inception has risen to more than 600.

Among the latest recipients are students from Saint Patrick’s College, Hope Waddell Training Institution, Holy Child Girls’ Secondary School, Government Secondary School Adiabo, Government Technical College Efut Ibonda, Edgerley Memorial Girls’ Secondary School, West African People’s Institute, Mary Slessor Academy, and Duke Town Secondary School. 

The list also includes two postgraduate students of the University of Calabar, one student of the Nigerian Law School, Yenagoa Campus, and another pursuing Medicine at Base University, Abuja.

For many families, the Teacher Ita Scholarship is more than a financial relief; it is a promise renewed. One parent from Adiabo expressed gratitude with emotion, saying, “My daughter is the first in our family to go this far in school. This scholarship gave her a future we thought was lost.”

Education advocates in Cross River State have hailed the foundation’s impact, describing it as a model of private philanthropy that complements government efforts to ensure equitable access to education. 

They point to its transparency, consistency, and strong focus on supporting girls and children from low-income backgrounds.

Beyond tuition, the initiative provides mentorship and moral guidance to its scholars, instilling values of discipline, service, and leadership.

 These values reflect the legacy of the Ita family, whose name has long been associated with excellence in education and community development.

Speaking on the vision behind the foundation, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Ekpenyong Essien Ita, reaffirmed the commitment to human capital development. 

“Our goal is not just to pay school fees but to nurture character and confidence. Education is the foundation of human progress, and through this initiative, we are investing in the future of Cross River’s next generation,” he said.

Ita also revealed that plans are underway to expand the scholarship’s scope to include more students from tertiary institutions, vocational training, and entrepreneurship programmes that will prepare young people for a competitive global economy.

For education stakeholders, the Teacher Essien Ita Itam Education Trust Fund stands as a living legacy of two remarkable individuals united by their belief in the transformative power of learning. 

Late Barrister Temitope Ekpenyong Ita and her father-in-law, Teacher Essien Ita Itam, shared a lifelong dedication to education as the surest path to personal and social advancement.

Today, that legacy endures through the lives of hundreds of students who now have the opportunity to dream, learn, and lead.

 For families across Cross River, the Teacher Ita Foundation is not merely a scholarship programme. It is a bridge from hardship to hope, a pathway from forgotten classrooms to futures bright with possibility.