YAYI Awards Scholarships, Bursaries to 5,513 Ogun Students

By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

Chairman of the Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Scholarship Board, Prof. Tope Popoola, has reaffirmed Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola’s commitment to expanding access to quality education as the lawmaker presented scholarships and bursaries to 5,513 students in the third edition of the educational support programme.

Speaking on Sunday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital at the scholarship and bursary presentation ceremony, Prof. Popoola described the initiative as a fulfillment of Senator Adeola’s campaign promise and a key component of his seven-point development agenda since assuming office as the senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District in 2023.

Welcoming guests, students, traditional rulers and community leaders, Prof. Popoola, on behalf of Senator Adeola—popularly known as Yayi—expressed appreciation to supporters and stakeholders who have sustained the programme over the years.

He noted that the senator’s empowerment initiatives have continued to earn widespread commendation across Ogun State, with the scholarship and bursary scheme providing much-needed financial relief to thousands of students and their families.

According to him, the programme has witnessed steady growth since its inception.

“In the first year, over 1,900 prospective beneficiaries applied, with 1,726 qualifying for the awards. In the second edition, the scheme was expanded beyond Ogun West to accommodate students from Ogun Central and Ogun East, resulting in 4,189 beneficiaries,” he said.

Prof. Popoola disclosed that 3,706 students were initially approved for bursary awards this year, while 1,735 students qualified for scholarships, bringing the total to 5,441 beneficiaries. However, following the review of complaints from applicants whose online submissions were initially incomplete, an additional 71 bursary applications were approved.

“This brings the total number of beneficiaries for this year’s edition to 5,513 students,” he announced.
Under the scheme, bursary recipients will receive ₦100,000, while scholarship beneficiaries in polytechnics and universities will receive ₦150,000 and ₦200,000, respectively.

Prof. Popoola also revealed that the scholarship board received applications from several states outside Ogun, including Ondo, Edo, and Abia, describing the development as evidence of the programme’s growing popularity and credibility.

He, however, warned against fraudulent practices during the application process, stressing that the board maintained a transparent and rigorous screening exercise.
“Applicants found to have submitted false information or engaged in any form of malpractice were disqualified. We can assure the public that the board conducted a diligent and credible selection process,” he said.

Looking ahead, Prof. Popoola expressed optimism that the initiative would evolve into a state-wide scholarship and bursary programme for Ogun State, with future editions potentially extending support to postgraduate students.

He said the continued investment in education reflects Senator Adeola’s vision of empowering young people and promoting sustainable development through human capital development.

Also speaking, Yayi who reaffirmed his commitment to expanding access to quality education and supporting indigent students, described the initiative as a fulfilment of his campaign promise to invest in human capital development and ensure that no brilliant student drops out of school because of financial hardship.

Adeola who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Aremo of Yewaland, said the programme complements Governor Dapo Abiodun’s educational development efforts in Ogun State and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said has disbursed over N206 billion to more than one million students across 270 tertiary institutions nationwide.

According to him, the scholarship and bursary scheme has continued to grow since its inception in 2024.

 While 1,700 students benefited in the maiden edition and 3,892 in the second edition held in 2025, this year’s exercise recorded 5,313 beneficiaries, bringing the cumulative total to over 10,000 students.

Adeola disclosed that 1,735 students would receive scholarships worth N200,000 each for university students and N150,000 each for students in polytechnics and colleges of education, while the remaining 3,577 beneficiaries would receive bursary awards of N100,000 each.

He urged the beneficiaries to utilise the funds strictly for educational purposes, including the payment of school fees, accommodation and other academic-related expenses, rather than on luxury items.

“The whole idea is to assist students, parents and guardians and ensure that no brilliant student drops out of school because of inability to pay school fees or meet other educational expenses,” he said.

The lawmaker said the programme was being implemented in partnership with the National Productivity Centre and supervised by a Scholarship and Bursary Board headed by Professor Tope Popoola, whom he commended for ensuring transparency and improving the scheme over the years.

Aside the financial support, Adeola highlighted several educational projects facilitated during his three and a half years in the Senate. He said he had facilitated the construction of 87 classroom blocks with staff rooms, libraries and solar-powered boreholes across Ogun State, adding more than 300 classrooms and 56 staff rooms to public schools.

He also listed the establishment of 18 fully equipped ICT centres, provision of furniture to 35 schools, distribution of over 200,000 textbooks and school bags to 128 schools, donation of buses to tertiary institutions and sponsorship of 7,000 JAMB registration forms for indigent students.

The senator further pledged to sustain the scholarship and bursary scheme while expanding educational infrastructure across the state.

Adeola also cited his sponsorship of the bill upgrading the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to the Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, as part of his commitment to strengthening tertiary education and promised continued legislative support for increased funding of the education sector.