No brilliant student should be forced to leave school because of a lack of money, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, said on Sunday as he presented scholarships and bursaries to 5,312 students from tertiary institutions across Ogun State in Abeokuta.
The support, which covers school fees, accommodation and other academic needs, is aimed at helping students stay in school and complete their education.
The latest round of support follows increasing efforts to improve access to higher education through public funding.
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Yayi linked his programme with the Federal Government’s education drive, noting that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has already disbursed more than N206 billion to over one million students in 270 tertiary institutions.
He said such interventions give students from low income families a better chance of completing their studies.
Yayi said the scholarship and bursary scheme was created to remove financial barriers that often interrupt the education of talented students.
He urged beneficiaries to use the money only for education related expenses.
“The funds provided should be spent on payment of your school fees, accommodation or similar issues in furtherance of knowledge acquisition. They are not free money to buy phones, bags or clothes. The whole idea is to assist students, parents and guardians and ensure that no brilliant student drops out of school because of financial challenges,” he said.
Out of the 5,312 beneficiaries, 1,735 students received scholarships. University students got N200,000 each, while students in polytechnics and colleges of education received N150,000 each. The remaining 3,577 students received bursaries of N100,000 each.
Yayi said the current edition has pushed the total number of beneficiaries under the programme to more than 10,000 within three years.
He noted that the first edition, held in January 2024, supported more than 1,700 students, while the second edition in April 2025 reached 3,892 students.
“Today’s beneficiaries are just slightly lower than the combined figures of the first and second editions. To the glory of God, the cumulative figure of over 10,000 beneficiaries is far beyond the 1,000 students I promised during my campaign for the Ogun West Senatorial seat,” he said.
Yayi said the scholarship and bursary programme forms part of his commitment to improving education in Ogun State through direct financial support and better learning facilities.
He explained that the scheme is being carried out with the National Productivity Centre and fits into President Bola Tinubu’s education agenda. He also praised the Scholarship and Bursary Board, led by Professor Tope Popoola, for ensuring that the selection process was transparent and professionally handled.
Apart from scholarships, the senator listed projects carried out over the past three and a half years to improve learning conditions in schools.
He said he had facilitated the construction of 87 classroom blocks, providing more than 300 classrooms and 56 staff rooms in schools within Ogun West and other parts of the state.
He also facilitated the establishment of 18 fully equipped ICT centres, supplied furniture to 35 schools, distributed more than 200,000 textbooks and school bags to 128 schools, provided mini buses for tertiary institutions and sponsored the purchase of 10,000 JAMB forms for indigent students.
Yayi noted that he would continue the annual scholarship and bursary programme and extend educational support in the years ahead.
He also promised to keep backing laws and interventions that improve education funding and increase opportunities for students.
He said his belief in education is rooted in his personal experience, noting that learning changed the direction of his own life and gave him opportunities that shaped his career.
Yayi maintained that helping students stay in school is one of the most effective ways to build the state’s future and ensure that financial hardship does not end the dreams of bright young people.