No fewer than 30 students of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, on Wednesday benefitted from a scholarship award by a non-governmental organisation, Ayeku Foundation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the indigent students got N50, 000 each as scholarship award.
The Chairman of the foundation, Dr Iyiola Aiyeku, while giving letters conveying the award to the beneficiaries, said that the gesture was borne out of the foundation’s desire to empower the younger generations through education.
According to Aiyeku, the youth are the future leaders and need empowerment and development especially through education.
“I commend the beneficiaries who have been dedicated to their studies in spite of the current situation of the country; I urge them not to relent in their efforts.
“I thank all our supporters who contributed immensely to the success of this programne,” he said.
The chairman said that the foundation would sustain the award and extend it to indigent students in other tertiary institutions in the state.
The Director of the foundation, Prof. Adegoke Adegbite, said that the foundation was non-profit, non-political, non-governmental and non-religious, adding that it was poised to give better lives to indigent but brilliant students.
Adegbite, who is also the Dean of Postgraduate Studies at the university, said that the beneficiaries were selected across all departments of the institution based on their academic performances of Grade Cumulative Point Average of 2.50 and above.
He added that the foundation was seeking individuals who would become stakeholders by donating funds to it in order to reach out to more indigent students across the state.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, thanked the foundation for supporting education of the students.
He advised the students to work hard to justify the award.
The vice-chancellor appealed to other well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to emulate the foundation.
A beneficiary and third year student of microbiology, Miss Precious Adesokan, said that she was delighted to benefit from the gesture.
Another beneficiary, Mr Ebenezer Akinusi, a fourth year student of biochemistry, said that the scholarship would go a long way to support his education.
NAN reports that 30 indigent students benefited from the maiden edition of the scholarship award in 2019 while the Coronavirus pandemic hindered the 2020 edition. (NAN)
