Twelve students from the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) have been awarded scholarships as part of the Mojirola Educational Foundation’s annual program, which supported 20 students from public tertiary institutions across Nigeria this year.
The award ceremony, held in Ilorin, marked the third edition of the Foundation’s scholarship scheme. Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of Unilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), represented by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. Alex Akanni, expressed pride in the university’s continuous reputation for excellence over its 50-year history. He praised the Foundation for allocating more than half of this year’s scholarship slots to Unilorin students.
Professor Egbewole encouraged the recipients to view the scholarship as a seed for their future and urged them to reinvest their success into the system to support others.
The Project Director of the Mojirola Educational Foundation, Dr. Ruth Abiola Adimula, who is also an Associate Professor at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin, highlighted the Foundation’s mission to support brilliant but underprivileged students of Kwara State origin. She noted that the initiative aims to ease the burden of rising tuition fees and meet essential academic needs.
“In response to the growing financial demands in education, the Foundation increased the number of recipients this year to 20, each receiving N200,000,” she said. “The scholarship is inclusive—open to both male and female students from Christian and Muslim backgrounds, all enrolled in public institutions.”
Out of over 200 applicants, 20 students were selected based on academic excellence and financial need. The beneficiaries include:
- 12 from University of Ilorin
- 3 from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto
- 1 from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
- 1 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- 1 from Bayero University, Kano
- 1 from University of Jos
- 1 from Federal University of Technology, Minna
Engineer Joseph Duntoye, CEO of the Foundation and an alumnus of Unilorin’s Faculty of Engineering, emphasized the importance of private support for education. He urged individuals, organizations, and corporate bodies to join hands in supporting Nigerian students and reducing the brain drain, popularly known as “JAPA.”
“Too many of our brightest youth are either leaving to build other nations or falling into despair due to lack of opportunity,” he said.
In a vote of thanks, Mr. Emmanuel Olalajulo, a 400-level Medicine and Surgery student at Unilorin with a CGPA of 4.94, expressed gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries. He encouraged fellow scholars to make the most of the opportunity and strive to give back in the future.
