Aiyedatiwa Approves N400m Bursary, Scholarships for 13,360 Ondo Students
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved N400 million for the 2026 bursary, scholarship and financial assistance programme for 13,360 students of Ondo State origin studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The programme, flagged off on Tuesday at the Cocoa Conference Centre of the Governor’s Office in Akure, comprises 11,907 bursary recipients, 614 scholarship beneficiaries, 239 Law School students, 500 medical students undergoing clinical training and 100 physically challenged students receiving financial assistance.
Aiyedatiwa described education as the seed from which every great society blossoms and a foundation for sustainable development, saying his administration had made strategic investments in the children, communities and future of Ondo State a central component of its “OUR EASE” development agenda.
The governor said the 2026 Budget of Economic Consolidation made substantial provisions for education, including the construction and rehabilitation of 500 basic schools across the state.
He also disclosed that his administration had commenced a Digital Literacy Programme involving the distribution of digital tablets to students in 50 public schools.
According to him, the programme was designed to equip students with digital skills needed to navigate an increasingly technology-driven world and ensure that Ondo children were not left behind in innovation and emerging opportunities.
Aiyedatiwa added that the government was investing in teachers and had recently recognised outstanding students, teachers and recipients of National Youth Service Corps awards.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, described the bursary and scholarship programme as a demonstration of the governor’s commitment to the educational development, welfare and empowerment of Ondo students.
Ajibefun commended Aiyedatiwa for approving N400 million for the 2026 programme, saying the timely release of the funds made the initiative possible.
The commissioner further disclosed that the governor had released N633.918 million for the payment of 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination registration fees for students in public secondary schools across the state.
He added that Aiyedatiwa had also approved the immediate implementation of the Federal Government’s agreement with unions on the new salary structure in the state’s tertiary institutions.
According to Ajibefun, the governor also approved a substantial increase in subvention to enable the institutions to implement the new salary structure.
The development comes as the state government continues to expand its education interventions, with the bursary, scholarship and financial assistance programme targeting students at different stages of tertiary education and those requiring additional support.