From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, yesterday, gave scholarship and bursary awards to 3,881 students of tertiary institutions across the state.
The senator, otherwise known as Yayi, also distributed laptop computers to 700 secondary school pupils who have been trained in the ICT programme facilitated by him.
Speaking during the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries of the scholarships and bursaries, in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of the state, he disclosed that a sum of N200,000 would be given to each of the beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, while N100,000 will be disbursed to each beneficiary in the bursary category.
He noted that the students selected from tertiary institutions across Nigeria were carefully nominated after a thorough screening by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Scholarship Board. He further explained that students from Ogun East and Central were included in the scheme which started in 2024.
The senator, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, said he decided to initiate the scholarship and bursary awards to make quality education accessible to indigent brilliant students. While stressing that every child must have the right to education, Adeola added that the education support scheme was also to support the Nigerian Education Loan fund scheme started by President Tinubu’s administration.
He further declared that the scholarship and bursary scheme is not a fluke, charging every student in Ogun West and beyond to take advantage of the scheme, submitting that “by next year, there won’t be bursary awards again as all beneficiaries will benefit from the scholarship scheme.
“I was once an indigent student with no opportunity of getting any scholarship or bursary. Hence, I decided to start this to help the dream of our children of getting education. I am also doing this to support the student loan scheme started by President Tinubu’s administration. This scholarship and bursary scheme is not a fluke, therefore, every student in Ogun West must take advantage of the scheme,” he stated.
Earlier, the Chairman of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Scholarship Board, Professor Tope Popoola, said 8,000 applications were received from over 100 tertiary institutions across the country. He added that the scholarship scheme was expanded from 1,700 beneficiaries in the first edition last year to 3,881 beneficiaries to accommodate more students, not only in Ogun West but beyond.