Ondo rolls out N400m bursary, scholarships for 13,360 students
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on Tuesday flagged off the 2026 bursary, scholarship and financial assistance programme for 13,360 students of Ondo State origin studying in tertiary institutions across the country.
The governor approved N400 million for the programme, which is aimed at easing the financial burden on students and supporting their educational pursuits.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Cocoa Conference Centre, Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, Aiyedatiwa said the beneficiaries comprised 11,907 bursary recipients, 614 scholarship beneficiaries, 239 Law School students, 500 medical students undergoing clinical training and 100 physically challenged students.
Aiyedatiwa described education as the seed from which every great society blossoms, stressing that it remained a strategic investment in the future of the state and a central component of his administration’s “OUR EASE” development agenda.
He said the 2026 Budget of Economic Consolidation made substantial provisions for education, including the construction and rehabilitation of 500 basic schools across the state.
According to him, the administration has also commenced its Digital Literacy Programme with the distribution of digital tablets to students in 50 public schools.
The governor said the initiative was designed to equip students with digital skills to enable them navigate an increasingly technology-driven world and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
He added that his administration was also investing in teachers, while outstanding students, teachers and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) award recipients had recently been recognised.
At the tertiary level, Aiyedatiwa disclosed that steps had commenced towards transforming Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, into the proposed University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Owo (UNASTO).
He said the institution would strengthen education and research in agriculture, science and technology and contribute to the economic transformation of the state.
The governor also disclosed that his administration had approved the establishment of a College of Nursing at Igbokoda and a College of Education at Aboto, saying efforts were ongoing to ensure their take-off.
Aiyedatiwa said the N400 million intervention was more than financial assistance, describing it as a commitment to ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent deserving students from pursuing their educational aspirations.
He urged the beneficiaries to regard the support as both a privilege and a responsibility, charging them to remain focused and pursue excellence.
The governor also urged them to uphold discipline, integrity, diligence, respect and responsibility, reminding them that they remained ambassadors of Ondo State wherever they found themselves.
In a special gesture, Aiyedatiwa approved a scholarship for the son of a former student leader, Comrade Mary Ogunga, who died in July from an illness before her final Bar examination.
He also directed that the child be enrolled in the state’s bursary scheme, despite not yet being a tertiary institution student.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, described the programme as a demonstration of the governor’s commitment to the educational development, welfare and empowerment of students of Ondo State origin.
Ajibefun thanked the governor for approving N400 million for the 2026 programme, saying the timely release of the funds made the intervention possible.
He disclosed that Aiyedatiwa had also released N633.918 million for the payment of 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration fees for students in public secondary schools across the state.
The commissioner further said the governor had approved the immediate implementation of the Federal Government agreement with university unions on the new salary structure in the state’s tertiary institutions, alongside an increase in subvention to enable the institutions implement the structure.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Scholarship, Samad Orijeminiyi, disclosed that the state was considering the development of a dedicated mobile application to create a digital registry of indigenes studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Orijeminiyi said discussions had commenced with the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) on the proposed application, which would identify, verify, centralise and manage students’ profiles.
According to him, the platform would serve as a digital registry and scholarship management system, making student support more reliable, inclusive and data-driven, while reducing opportunities for fraud.
He said the initiative would also reduce administrative costs, improve student participation and provide reliable data for policies aimed at addressing students’ needs.
Orijeminiyi added that the platform could help attract increased Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) investments from private corporations by providing reliable information on students and their educational needs.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Scholarship Board, Mrs Funsho Tunji-Omoniyi, said the programme marked another milestone in the administration’s education and human capital development efforts under the “OUR EASE” agenda.
She said 13,360 students of Ondo State origin in recognised tertiary institutions across Nigeria were expected to benefit from the intervention.
According to her, scholarship awards would go to students with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0 and above on a five-point scale, or 3.0 on a four-point scale, with each beneficiary receiving N100,000.
She said bursary beneficiaries would receive N20,000 each, while students in Nigerian Law Schools and medical students undertaking clinical studies would receive N100,000 each.
Physically challenged students, she added, would receive N75,000 each.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Global President of the National Association of Ondo State Students, Comrade Temitope Alade, commended Aiyedatiwa for his interventions in the education sector and commitment to students’ welfare.
He described the governor as a “father of action and impact.”
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, represented by the member representing Okitipupa Constituency I, Hon. Chris Ayebusiwa.
Others are Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya; members of the State Executive Council, political appointees, Permanent Secretaries and other government officials.
