Lagos govt awards nine students scholarships at arts event
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on Tuesday awarded one-year scholarships to nine students at the grand finale of the 2026 Eko Schools Arts and Craft Competition 2.0 held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
The beneficiaries include Saheed Kadijat Remilekun of Community Junior Grammar School, Egbeda; Olorungbamila Esther of Ikokun Junior High School; Aishat Opeyemi of Clegg Girls Junior High School; Akinola Oluwatobi of Sanngo Senior Secondary School; Makinde Opeyemi of Millennium Senior Secondary School, Egbeda; and Ajayi Pascal of Methodist High School.
Others are Aina Samuel, Abdul Rahman Saheed, and Goodness Popoola, all from the Lagos State University of Education, who were also awarded one-year scholarships for their outstanding performance in the competition.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Bopo Oyekan-Ismaila, described the grand finale and prize presentation as a celebration of creativity, innovation, culture, and the potential of young Lagosians.
She said the initiative was designed to discover, nurture, and showcase artistic talents among students across the state, noting that Lagos continues to position itself as Nigeria’s creative and cultural hub.
Oyekan-Ismaila added that a total of 489 participants registered for the competition, while 132 submitted entries from schools across the five divisions of Lagos State and selected tertiary institutions.
She said entries were received across various categories, including painting, drawing, sculpture, beadwork, textile design, leatherwork, digital art, and upcycling, adding that the quality and originality of submissions were highly impressive.
According to her, the theme of this year’s competition, “This Is Lagos,” challenged participants to creatively express the identity, heritage, resilience, innovation, and diversity of the state through art.
She commended all participants for their efforts, stressing that every entry represented creativity and dedication, while congratulating the winners for emerging outstanding among their peers.
Also speaking, judge of the competition, Fola David, appreciated the participants and winners, noting that the platform provided an opportunity for young talents to showcase their creativity and artistic potential.
Representing the Lagos State Head of Service, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbi, said the programme had provided schoolchildren with a valuable platform to demonstrate their artistic abilities.
