Foundation Invests N17m for Indigent Students’ Scholarship

Hammed Shittu

A non-governmental organisation based in Kwara State, Bayo and Bunmi Babalola Foundation has invested a total of N17 million towards the award of scholarship to over 813 indigent students in secondary and tertiary institutions in the state since 2015.

The scholarship was aimed at contributing towards the educational advancement of the state and to prevent the youths from being agents of violence, prostitution and other crimes in the society.

The founder of the foundation, Mr. Adebayo Babalola disclosed this disclosure in Omuaran in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state during the fourth edition of the scholarship scheme.

“When the scholarship scheme started in 2015, 545 students comprising 194 in tertiary institutions and 351 students in secondary schools benefited from the scheme.

“If we add the would-be beneficiaries for this 2018/2019 session which is being granted today, the total is 813, made up of 291 students from tertiary institutions and 522 from secondary schools would have benefited from the scheme since the maiden edition in 2015.

“The implication is that, this year’s edition 97 higher institution students and 171 secondary school students would be benefiting from the scheme this session.”

Babalola said the foundation will be investing N5 million only directly to the beneficiaries while about N500,000 is spent on logistics.

“With this, we have invested N17 million directly to the beneficiaries and about N2 million on logistics and advertisement since the scheme took off and the beneficiaries are mainly students in our local government area.”

He said the investment was meant to boost the quality of education and make it accessible to indigent students who would have found it difficult to continue their studies and may be forced to drop out.