Eleven indigent students of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, have received scholarship awards worth a total of N1.1m from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Ibadan branch.
The awards, presented on Thursday, comprised N200,000 each for two students from the union’s national body, N100,000 each for five recipients from the university’s ASUU branch, and N50,000 each for four students sponsored by a professor at the institution, Tajudeen Akanji.
Speaking during the presentation of cheques at the union’s congress, the Vice-Chairman of UI-ASUU, Dr Tayo Ajibade, who represented the branch chairman, Dr Adefemi Afolabi, disclosed that 56 indigent students had applied for the scholarship, but only 11 were found qualified.
He said, “The urge to support indigent students was the directive of the national body of the union to all chapters to support in a little way, children from indigent homes who really need financial support.
“ASUU has been championing improved funding to ensure that qualitative education is not out of the reach of the children of the masses in Nigeria. So, poverty should not disqualify a Nigerian child from accessing education.
“The beneficiaries are Olawale Esther Inioluwa, a 300-level student of Archaeology and Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts (₦200,000), Orji Cynthia Adaeze, a 300-level Political Science student in the Faculty of Social Sciences ( ₦200,000), Dosunmu Mazeedah Omobonike of Pharmaceutical Sciences (N100, 000); Oyeniyi Oluwaseyi, a 400-level Pharmacy student; Aanuoluwa Adeshewa Mary, a 400-level Physiotherapy student (N100, 000); Ameenat Eniola of Department of Economics (N100, 000); and Olowode Afusat Temitayo (N50,000).
“The four indigent students who received N50, 000 each, financed by Prof. Tajudeen Akanji, are Ogundare Marvellous, Williams Happiness of the Department of Psychology, Oladepo Peter Olamide of the Department of Microbiology and Gbadegesin Daniel, a 400-level Banking and Finance student.
“Our union has recognised that the best gift that you can give to anyone is education. We are aware of the challenges in our society because we realise that a lot of our students are struggling to survive in school, and we want to find a way to support them in our little way.
“This is why our national body has directed us to do this by supporting brilliant indigent students. We see it that it is our duty to continue to clamour for increased funding and quality education. The national awards, the branches’ support, and individual lecturers have also come out to support indigent students, and we would continue to do so.”
One of the donors, Prof Tajudeen Akanji, said he would continue to support indigent students for as long as he lived, drawing on his experience as the son of a carpenter who rose to the peak of his career and understood the transformative power of education.
Speaking with journalists after receiving her award, Olawale Inioluwa expressed surprise and gratitude, urging other students to take their studies seriously and make academic excellence a priority.
“I was not even expecting it. What I will say to UI students is that they should make sure they take their academics very seriously because the number one thing we came to the university for is academics,” she said.
Also speaking, Oladepo Olamide appreciated the national leadership and the University of Ibadan branch of ASUU for introducing the scholarship initiative, describing it as an encouragement for students to work harder.
He urged his colleagues to remain committed to their studies so they could take advantage of similar opportunities when they arise.