Over 5,500 Ogun Students Receive Scholarships, Bursaries as Senator Adeola Expands Education Support Initiative

No fewer than 5,513 students across Ogun State have emerged as beneficiaries of the 2025/2026 Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI) Scholarship and Bursary Scheme, underscoring the lawmaker’s continued commitment to expanding access to quality education and easing the financial burden on students and their families.
Speaking at the third edition of the scholarship and bursary presentation ceremony held in Abeokuta on Sunday, Senator Adeola urged the beneficiaries to utilize the financial support strictly for educational purposes, including the payment of tuition fees, accommodation, and other academic-related expenses.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations explained that the initiative was established to assist indigent students across Ogun State and prevent talented youths from abandoning their education due to financial constraints.
According to the senator, the programme fulfills one of his key campaign promises while complementing the educational development initiatives of Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. He added that the intervention also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which seeks to improve access to tertiary education financing.
Providing an overview of the programme’s growth, Senator Adeola disclosed that the maiden edition in 2024 supported 1,700 students, while 3,892 students benefited during the second edition in 2025. This year’s exercise recorded 5,312 beneficiaries, comprising 1,735 scholarship recipients and 3,577 bursary awardees drawn from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the state.
He explained that university scholarship beneficiaries would receive ₦200,000 each, while students of polytechnics and colleges of education would receive ₦150,000 each. In addition, 3,577 students would benefit from bursary awards of ₦100,000 each.
The senator noted that the latest intervention brings the total number of beneficiaries since the inception of the programme to well over 10,000 students.
“The funds provided should be used for the payment of school fees, accommodation and other educational needs. They are not meant for the purchase of phones, bags or clothes. The objective is to support students, parents and guardians and ensure that no brilliant student from Ogun West and indeed Ogun State is forced to drop out of school because of financial hardship,” he said.
Senator Adeola described education as the cornerstone of national development, noting that his personal achievements were made possible through the opportunities education provided. He reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining and expanding the scholarship and bursary scheme while supporting policies and legislative interventions that would improve educational funding and infrastructure nationwide.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Scholarship Board, Prof. Tope Popoola, said the initiative was designed to reduce the financial burden of education on parents and guardians while encouraging academic excellence among students across Ogun State.
He assured stakeholders that the selection process remained transparent, credible, and merit-driven, stressing that applications containing false or misleading information were automatically disqualified.
“Whenever false information is detected, such applications are disqualified. The board carried out the screening process with diligence and fairness. Our vision is to continually expand this initiative into a comprehensive state-wide scholarship and bursary programme that will benefit even more deserving students,” Popoola said.
The annual scholarship and bursary programme has continued to gain recognition as one of the largest privately sponsored educational support initiatives in Ogun State, providing thousands of students with the financial assistance needed to pursue and complete their tertiary education.