Bianca Iboma
Eight exceptional students from universities across the country have emerged winners of the 24th Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation for Science Education Postgraduate Scholarship, (SOAFSEPGS).
The awardees were selected from 150 nominees, comprising 27 graduates with First Class or Distinction, 111 with 33 Second Class Division Honour (Upper Division), as well as six students and graduates of disciplines including medicine whose grade were not classified.
They are Mr. Joshua Adewolu, Miss Oseremen Joy Idialu, Mr.Laughter Finyinfoluwa Olagunju, Miss Adedoyin Olutoyin Aderemi, Mr Obinwanne, Emewally, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwagu, Miss Patience Nnenna Abugu, and Mr.Adeola Adeyemo.
Speaking at the award ceremong at Muson Centre, Onikan, Fola Awokoya, son of the late Prof Stephen Oluwole Awokoya said the scholarships were premised on good in educational performance.
He urged the students to always put in their best to distinguish themselves among their peers, noting that the award was meant for only exceptional students.
“The Awokoya Foundation scholarship is a reward for excellence and it is aimed at encouraging excellence in educational performance. It is an award for the best among the best.”
According to him, the foundation was established in 1995 to promote science education in higher institutions in the country, adding that it had produced 105 postgraduate scholarship awardees since its inception.
“This year, we had 150 nominations from 27 universities. Eight postgraduate scholarship awardees were chosen from the nominations received. This year marks a significant milestone for the Awokoya Foundation’’, he stated.
The chairman of the foundation, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, described the Late Awokoya as “an ebullient and brilliant teacher of teachers” who had inspired and positively impacted the lives of many successful Nigerians.
Durojaiye said despite the financial challenges of the foundation, the science laboratory of the Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo, a school nurtured by the Late Awokoya, had been refurbished.
He sought donations for the foundation to award more scholarships and equip more laboratories and libraries in higher institutions of learning across the country.
In his lecture titled, “Towards a Safer Natal experiences in Nigeria: How far and what next” Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said making motherhood safer is a human rights imperative and it is the core achievement of medical practitioners.
Fabamwo explained that for every woman who dies at 20 or 30 encounter injuries infections or disabilities. Most of these deaths and injuries are preventable.
He said reducing risks for maternal, neonatal, and fetal mortality frequently involves behavioral changes for women. While such changes are often difficult to achieve, they can be facilitated with information about pregnancy, risks, and healthy behaviors.
“Strategies that improve birth outcomes in monitored clinical trials may fail when introduced into large, unmonitored populations if compliance with the intervention is inadequate. As a result, the recommendations in this report focus on strategies that have proven effective in both clinical trials and in large comparable populations
The occasion was chaired by the Osile of Oke Ona Egbaland, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, while the Principal partner Kayode Sofola & Associate, Mr Kayode Sofola was the special guest of honour.