Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has flagged off the 2026 bursary, scholarship and financial assistance programme for 13,360 students of Ondo State origin.

A total of ₦400 million has been approved for the scheme.

The beneficiaries include 11,907 bursary recipients, 614 scholarship awardees, 239 Law School students, 500 medical students undergoing clinical training and 100 physically challenged students receiving financial support. The event took place at the Cocoa Conference Centre of the Governor’s Office in Akure.

Aiyedatiwa described education as the foundation of sustainable development and said his administration had made strategic investments in the state’s children and future under the “OUR EASE” development agenda. He noted that the 2026 budget allocated substantial resources to education, including the construction and rehabilitation of 500 basic schools.

The governor also highlighted the start of a Digital Literacy Programme that has seen digital tablets distributed to students in 50 public schools. The initiative aims to equip young people with the skills needed in a technology-driven world.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, praised the timely release of the funds. He also disclosed that the governor had released over ₦633 million for WASSCE registration fees for public secondary school students and approved the implementation of a new salary structure in the state’s tertiary institutions.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper