In a major educational empowerment drive, Senator Sharafadeen Alli has paid the WAEC fees for 48 students and awarded scholarships to eight undergraduates within the Oyo South Senatorial District. the gesture, which took place on thursday in Ibadan, is a significant investment in the academic future of the students.
The presentations were made during the second edition of the educational initiative, a collaborative effort with the Good Governance and Development Initiative (GGDI). senator alli expressed his profound fulfillment in seeing the program expand to 20 centers, noting that the personal sponsorship, which has cost millions of naira, continues to positively impact young students.
This initiative provides essential financial relief to families and underscores the senator’s commitment to supporting education and community development across his constituency.
He said he was glad that participants of the maiden edition were now undergraduates, proving the effectiveness of the intervention and encouraging its expansion.
“I give glory to God that we are having the second edition today.
“From what I gathered from supervisors, teachers and even the students, it has impacted quite a lot of people,” he said.
The occasion’s Chairman, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, lauded the sponsor and organisers for grooming the future generation through education, while also urging beneficiaries to take the opportunity seriously.
“Children, this is an opportunity for you to turn things positively for yourselves.
“Education can take you to a place that is beyond expectation,” he said.
Prof. Peter Olapegba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin), University of Ibadan (UI), commending Alli and GGDI, urged other Nigerians and organisations to emulate the impactful gesture.
This, he said, had become necessary since the government alone could not fund education sustainably.
“If you are talking of sustainable development, it means that you must provide access to functional education, not just access to school,” he said.
Olapegba, the guest lecturer, described education as a catalyst for national development and advised beneficiaries to remain focused, disciplined, and serious to maximise the rare lifetime opportunity.
Meanwhile, GGDI Coordinator, Prof. Olayinka Omotosho, said the initiative was conceived to improve youth education and academic excellence in a society plagued by distractions and misinformation.
“This initiative was born out of the need to improve youth education quality, regardless of societal pressures.
“Through our free holiday coaching programme, we aim to rebuild academic excellence and inspire responsible youths amid rising social distractions and misinformation.
“The best and lasting empowerment is through education. No amount of other donations can compare to the life-changing impact educational empowerment brings to individuals and their communities,’’ he said.
Commending the initiative, stakeholders and parents said it had reignited hope and built a new path for academic achievement among underprivileged children across the district.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of the eight undergraduates received N100,000 in scholarship.
The beneficiaries are: Sekinat Adewole of FCE Osiele; Ireoluwa Sogunle of KWASU; Moyinoluwa Onaolapo of FUTA, and Abiodun Kolapo of UNIOSUN, all from the Ibadan Coaching Centres.
From the Ibarapa zone are: Rofiat Adeleke of LASU; Abiodun Okunlola of UNIOSUN; Ayomide Oyeyemi and Silas Adejumo, both from UI.
