Senator Adeola Awards Scholarships to 5,312 Ogun Indigent Students

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has awarded scholarships and bursaries to 5,312 indigent students across the state, as part of his continued investment in education and human capital development. 

Speaking at the third Yayi Scholarship/Bursary Award Programme in Abeokuta on July 26,  he disclosed that more than 17,000 students applied for the scholarship/bursary award. 

Of the 5,312 beneficiaries, he said that 1,735 students were awarded scholarships, while 3,577 students received bursary payments.

The scholarship programme, which commenced three years ago, is for students in tertiary institutions from the 20 local government areas of Ogun State, and aims to ease the financial burden on families, expand access to education, and support academically promising students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Senator Adeola stated that the intervention was meant to assist students and parents, and to ensure that no indigene of the state drops out of school as a result of non-payment of school fees or similar financial challenges.

He stated that his motivation for the financial empowerment of the education sector is borne out of his vision to deploy education as a tool for development, adding that the initiative reflects his long-standing commitment to empowering young people through quality education and ensuring that financial challenges do not prevent deserving students from pursuing their academic aspirations.

“I am facilitating this scheme with the National Productivity Centre, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative of President Bola Tinubu for the education sector. The scheme is to further bring relief to students in their course of training and acquisition of knowledge, as well as supplement the funds from those who can get loans from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). I am doing this to give you a future without any condition attached to it,” he said.

In her remarks, Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele described the scholarship/bursary as a timely intervention that would impact the future of the state, saying that she is proud that Senator Adeola is carrying on a legacy that her father spearheaded many years ago as the scholarship board chairman.

“I still meet people who were 50 years old when they got scholarships to attend university. I recently met a doctor who said it was because of my father that he was able to study medicine. These are legacies that money cannot buy,” she said.

While congratulating all the beneficiaries, he urged them to make judicious use of the funds in pursuit of their educational endeavours.

Party leaders who delivered goodwill messages at the ceremony lauded the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would provide relief to many families while encouraging more young people to remain committed to their education.

One of the beneficiaries, a student of Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, Imoleayo Fadunsin, commended Senator Adeola for his generosity and commitment to giving hope to indigent students through the award of a bursary or scholarship.

“…This intervention will bring great relief to my parents, who are struggling to take care of my academic needs,” Fadunsin said.

Over the last few years, Senator Yayi has facilitated several developmental projects in the area of education some of which include 87 newly constructed blocks of 12 classrooms with furniture, staff room library and solar power across the five local government areas of Ogun West, 18 fully equipped and functional ICT centres, provision of school furniture for 35 primary and secondary schools, and purchase of 10,000 JAMB forms.