Kwara govt awards full scholarships to outstanding pupils in unity schools

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin –

The Kwara State Education Trust Fund (Kwara-ETF) has awarded its first scholarships to 12 outstanding pupils from public primary schools, who will have their secondary school education fully funded under the scheme.

The development brought immense joy to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who described it as a dream come true—barely two years after the Fund was launched.

Established through a 2021 legislation, the Education Trust Fund is managed by a board of trustees drawn largely from the private sector and civil society. The Fund has since attracted significant support from philanthropists and other organizations.

Speaking at a brief orientation programme for the inaugural beneficiaries, Governor AbdulRazaq noted that developing Nigeria’s education sector is capital-intensive and should be a collective responsibility.

He urged wealthy individuals and charitable foundations to support public education, either through infrastructure projects or by sponsoring students who demonstrate exceptional academic potential.

The 12 pupils were selected based on outstanding performance at various screening stages conducted by the Kwara-ETF. The scholarship covers all their expenses for secondary school education.

“We encourage members of the public to donate and adopt students. Don’t leave the responsibility solely to the government and PTAs (Parent-Teacher Associations). Educating our children is a shared duty,” the Governor said.

Executive Secretary of Kwara-ETF, Oluwadamilola Amolegbe, said the 12 pupils were chosen from an initial pool of 640, based strictly on merit.

“We began the selection process by administering exams to all Primary Six pupils who had benefited from the KwaraLEARN digital literacy programme. From there, we shortlisted 640 top performers, then narrowed it down to 180, and finally selected the best 12,” Amolegbe explained.