The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has awarded 5,513 students across the state with scholarship and bursary schemes.

Adeola, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, while addressing the beneficiaries on Sunday at the event held in Abeokuta, said the bursary and scholarship programme is the third edition in the series.

He, therefore, called on the beneficiaries to utilise the funds for the purpose for which they were given and not on frivolities.

Adeola noted that the programme was established to lend a helping hand to indigent students across the state and prevent school dropouts due to financial challenges.

He described the initiative as part of his campaign promises and to complement Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s efforts to improve educational infrastructure across the state.

The lawmaker also explained that the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), supporting tertiary education financing.

Senator Adeola informed that 1,700 students benefited in the maiden edition in 2024, and 3,892 students received awards during the second edition in 2025.

He revealed that 1,735 were scholarship recipients while 3,577 received bursary awards, and that the beneficiaries were drawn from universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

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“Let me emphasise that the funds provided should be spent on payment of your school fees, accommodation or similar issues and not free money to buy phones, bags, and clothes.

“The whole idea is to assist students, parents and guardians and to ensure that no brilliant student of Ogun West extraction, and indeed Ogun State, drops out of school,” he said.

The chairman of the Scholarship Board, Prof. Tope Popoola, in his welcome remarks said the initiative was aimed at supporting students and reducing the financial burden of education on their parents across the state.

He assured the public that the board maintained a transparent selection process, adding that applications found to contain false information were disqualified.

“Usually, once such falsehoods are detected, such applications are stepped down. The board diligently carried out the selection process as expected.

“The initiative will continue to grow and eventually become a comprehensive state-wide scholarship and bursary programme,” he said.