By Gabriel Dike
The executive secretary, Lagos State Scholarship Board (LSSB), Mr. Omotayo Fakolujo, says 4,941 students received N309,918,303.40 as bursary, local and foreign scholarship for the 2019/2020 academic session.
Fakolujo, flanked by the director, administration and human resources, Mr. Samuel Okedara, director, Scholarship Department, Mrs. Tinuola Idowu, and director, Mr. Taiwo Ogunyoye, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his prompt release of funds to pay beneficiary students.
He also disclosed that the board has proposed to the state government 100 per cent and 25 per cent review of payment of bursary and scholarship to students in the 2020/2021 academic session.
According to the executive secretary of LSSB, the board has paid N961,935 million as bursary and scholarship in 2018, 2019 and 2020 academic sessions to 8,660 students in the state’s tertiary institutions.
Briefing newsmen on the performance of the board in the last three years, Fakolujo said LSSB has been performing in a gradual and systematic way, especially in the sale of forms and prompt payment of awards.
He said, for the 2017/2018 academic session, N100,169 million was approved and released for the payment of bursary to 7,248 students, depending on their course of study, which includes beneficiaries from the Law School and Maritime Academy, Oron.
The ES noted that, for local scholarship under the same period, N152,088 million was expended on scholarship to 1,228 students and it covers undergraduates, master’s and PhD students in tertiary institutions.
Fakolujo explained that three students benefitted for the foreign scholarship, valued at N19,705 million, based on course of study.
For the 2018/2019 academic session, he said the board spent N447,197 million as scholarship and bursary awards to students in institutions, while one foreign scholarship, valued at N4,522 million, was awarded in the same period.
The LSSB boss added that, in the 2019/2020 academic session, 4,941 students got local scholarship, foreign scholarship and bursary awards worth N309,918 million.
He said the proposed review was for undergraduate and postgraduate students, stating that LSSB recommended 100 per cent for bursary and 25 per cent for scholarship for the 2021/2022 academic session.
According to Fakolujo, the incumbent management of the board has been turning around LSSB in human capacity development, operational utility and infrastructure renewal.
The executive secretary said the board operation is seamless, collection of forms done both electronically and physically, indigenes go through indigeneship verification, offices are equipped, workers ready to go extra mile, new zeal amongst staff, self- capacity development and visit to campuses to senitise students.
Said he: ‘’Payment of monies to beneficiaries is now done electronically. Gone are the days of paying through Verve cards. During the first ever award ceremony organised for beneficiaries, it is on record that over 1, 500 beneficiaries received credit alert same time. The success of this has made some successful organisations wanting to partner with the board for subsequent award ceremonies.
“We have dropped some students from the non-performance, particularly students in medical colleges, about 13 of such. There is so much competition; students want to move from bursary to scholarship. We have dropped students from scholarship to bursary.’’
He observed that since the inception of the present administration, indigenes and non-indigenes have enjoyed the magnanimous gesture of Governor Sanwo-Olu through constant payment of bursary and scholarship awards which help to sustain students’ academic growth.
“As one of the themes pillars of this administration, education requires the involvement of all stakeholders and well-meaning individuals in the society,’’ he stressed.
Fakolujo appealed to social organisations and corporate bodies to partner with LSSB in order to channel their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) towards the provision of scholarship to students.
He added: ‘’We are partnering with private sector for the 2021/2022. We give best graduating students N1million and laptop. We are targeting to give 30 to 40 to laptops and the beneficiaries are nationwide.
The LSSB scribe expressed appreciation to Governor Sanwo-Olu for his unwavering support and quick release of funds, noting ‘’The state government has voted N1billion for bursary and scholarship. We have spent over N900, 000million. We don’t have problem with funding over our programmes.’’