Primate Ayodele donates N5m to support Yabatech students

By Vera Wisdom-Bassey

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has donated ₦5 million to students of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, particularly those living with disabilities and sickle cell disorder. The donation, part of the cleric’s ongoing empowerment and scholarship initiatives, was made in two phases.

The first installment was given three weeks ago, when 50 students from the college visited his church at Oke-Afa, Lagos, for a symposium. According to the Student Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Morakinyo Olaolushola, that initial gesture saw each student receiving financial support to ease his or her academic burden.

The second donation, totaling ₦2 million, was announced during the Voice of Resilience Symposium held at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium of the college. The event, organised by the SUG, had as theme, “Building a Culture of Care: Promoting Inclusion, Empathy, and Support for Students with Disabilities and Sickle Cell Disorder.”

Speaking at the symposium, Primate Ayodele called on the federal, state, and local governments to pay closer attention to the realities faced by students living with disabilities and chronic health challenges. He lamented that public officials rarely attend such important programmes, which would have given them a firsthand understanding of the struggles these students endure.

“I always humble myself to give back to society, especially to students who are determined to pursue their education despite difficult circumstances. Education has become increasingly expensive and unaffordable for many, particularly for the physically challenged. It is important for those of us who can help to step in and support them,” he said.

The cleric emphasised that disability or financial hardship should never be a barrier to education.