Date: 2018-10-05

An NGO, Bunmi and Babalola Foundation in Omu-Aran, Kwara, on Thursday says it has offered no fewer than 813 students the sum of N17m as grants through its annual scholarship empowerment scheme.

Eng. Sunday Babalola, the Foundation's Founder, made the disclosure during the 4th edition of the scheme held at Omu-Aran, City Complex in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.

He said the scholarship award scheme which was instituted in 2015 was part of the foundation's investments toward boosting the education quality and making it accessible, especially to the under privilege.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the foundation's annual scholarship award scheme covers indigent junior and senior secondary school students as well as student of tertiary institutions across the state.

NAN reports that the sum of N5 million was earmarked for the foundation's 2018/2019 scholarship award scheme. The breakdown down showed that 97 students from tertiary institutions received 30, 000 each, 25 SS3 students received 20, 000 each while 17 JS3 pupils and 68 JS2 pupils got the sum of 12, 000 and 9, 000 respectively.

Babalola while giving the breakdown of the award since its inception said a total of 291 tertiary students and 522 pupils from secondary schools have so far benefitted from the scheme.

According to him, it is only a nation with pool of educated, knowledgeable workforce and enterprise people that can develop.

"In that regard, therefore, investment in education is strategic for national development," he said.

Babalola who decried the bad state of education development in the state, said there was the urgent need for education stakeholders to rise up to the challenge of providing quality education and making such accessible.

"All stakeholders must rise to the occasion and save our educational system from further deterioration, and the workers from their current horrendous plight," he said.

Chief Jide Adebayo, the Eesa of Omu-Aran, speaking on behalf of the Omu-Aran Traditional Council of Chiefs and the Olomu-In-Council, described the foundation's gesture as unprecedented and laudable.

"When you have a personality investing so much on education as Engineer Sunday Babalola is doing without any motive than to better the future of our children definitely such deserves proper recognition and applaud," Adebayo a former Executive Director, Marketing, NAN said.

Alhaji Issa Abdusalam, (aka 10-10) Chairman, Parents/Teachers Association of Nigeria (PTA), Omu-Aran chapter, on his part, urged other wealthy individuals and groups to emulate the foundation's kind gesture in order to move the community forward.

Master Isaac Adewale and Bunmi Adelodun, both beneficiaries of the scheme, praised the foundation for its contribution to their educational development.

They promised to reciprocate the gesture by excelling in their academic performances. (NAN)