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50 Nigerians get i-Scholar’s sponsorship for post-graduate qualifiers

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Fifty Nigerian graduates have been awarded scholarships to write the pre-requisite standardised test for qualification to undertake post-graduate studies in Europe, America and Asia.

Fifty Nigerians have been awarded scholarships to write the pre-requisite standardised test for qualification to undertake post-graduate studies in Europe, America and Asia.

The 50 luck beneficiaries were among 850 Nigerians who applied for the scholarship organised by a U.S.-based charitable organisation, i-Scholar Initiative (iSI).

They are to get full funding to undertake the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

The sponsorship also covers a predetermined number of application fees and end-to-end mentorship support through peer-peer mentoring, webinars and workshops.

Speaking during the online onboarding session for the 2020/2021 beneficiaries, a member of the iSI Board of Trustees (BoT), Prof. Idowu Olayinka, noted that the initiative was to assist many Nigerians who wanted to further their education abroad.

Olayinka, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, added that the initiative was to lessen the financial burden on the aspirants and also provide the right mentorship for them as they proceed.

“Unfortunately, for many of our compatriots, the desire to further their education is often hampered by lack of funding and inadequate information on the application procedure.

“It is in this regard that i-Scholar Initiative has come to the rescue with its intervention to inspire the graduates over the last three years to pursue their ambitions,” he said.

He added that many of the past beneficiaries from the batch of 2019 were already in various fully funded graduate programmes in the USA and around the world with funding in excess of 2 million dollars.

Olayinka added that between 2019 and 2020, a total of 70 Nigerians were supported with over 27,000 dollars invested in addition to mentorship, adding that the scope of support increased further in 2021 to include payment of application fees in addition to the traditional GRE and TOEFL.

For the iSI President, Victor Ogunmola, he said that the initiative, since 2019, has provided continuous mentoring and career coaching, career progress tracking through college and post-college, as well as networking opportunities for scholars.

He added that the project forms part of the initiative’s drive to build a younger and self-driven generation for future leadership, innovation and the overall development of Africa.

“We are doing this for the next generation of leaders. We want to do more. We want to offer full scholarships, we want to sponsor visa fees, flight tickets and tuition,” he said.

The Chairperson of iSI Board of Trustees (BoT), Tolulope Ewherido, charged the beneficiaries to be role models for the coming generation of young people, charging them to pay it forward.

Ewherido thanked sponsors and volunteers whose activities and support have continued to yield results since 2019 when the organisation started offerin scholarship to Nigerians.

For a beneficiary of the sponsorship, Joy Amadi, a First-class Graduate of Chemistry from the Federal University Lokoja, she expressed gratitude for being selected.

“I am grateful for the selection. It is a big win for me and I am so motivated. This will help me become a scientist and help me contribute my quota to the development of the country,” She said. (NAN)

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Education

First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu Commissions ICT Centre at EKSU, Reaffirms Commitment to Digital Empowerment

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Nigeria’s First Lady and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday commissioned a state-of-the-art ICT Experience Centre at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, describing the facility as a strategic investment in digital education, innovation and youth empowerment.

 

The ICT centre, which was facilitated through her Renewed Hope Initiative in partnership with Tetfund was part of efforts to expand access to technology and digital opportunities for young Nigerians.

 

Dignitaries at the event include, Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, his Ondo State Counterpart, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele among others.

 

Speaking while commissioning the ICT centre, Senator Tinubu said the facility would provide students and other beneficiaries with the skills and tools required to thrive in the digital economy and compete favorably in the global digital stage.

 

Stressing the importance of equipping young people with relevant technological knowledge to enhance innovation, entrepreneurship and national development, the First Lady noted that the ICT Experience Centre represents another milestone in the Renewed Hope Initiative’s interventions aimed at empowering women, youths and students across the country.

 

She expressed confidence that the facility would serve as a hub for learning, creativity and technological advancement within the university community and beyond.

 

“I’m really happy to be in Ekiti, this is part of the programme that the Tinubu administration is rendering in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative which I chair, and Tetfund, we were able to give this center to you and I pray that more will come to the state. We have done a lot of work in Ekiti State though the office of the First Lady”, the First Lady asserted.

 

 

Earlier in their separate remarks, the Chancellor of the University, Dr Tunji Olowolafe and the Vice Chancellor, Prof Babatola Ayodele, expressed profound gratitude to the First Lady for facilitating the project. They described the centre as a valuable addition to the state’s educational infrastructure and a testament to the Federal Government’s commitment to human capital development.

 

They maintained that the facility would significantly enhance digital learning, research and innovation and pledged to make effective use of the centre in advancing academic excellence and technological development at the university.

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Students Call for Quality Education, Healthcare and Accountability in Governance

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The Ekiti State Commissioner for Education , Dr Olabimpe Aderiye, has urged students to embrace values that promote positive development, active citizenship and responsible leadership as essential ingredients for building a better society and sustaining good governance.

 

Aderiye gave the charge during the 2026 Children’s Day Symposium organised by the Ekiti State Ministry of Education, where students from selected secondary schools across the state deliberated on the theme: “Child Development and Good Governance.”

 

The symposium featured presentations from representatives of various schools, including Adebisi Elizabeth of Corpus Christi College, Ilawe-Ekiti; John Jasper of Daglore Model College, Ikole-Ekiti; Ale Oluwademilade of Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti; Chukwuka Favour of St. Mary’s Girls Grammar School, Ikole-Ekiti; Alayande Oreoluwa of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado-Ekiti; and Faboyede Fisayo of Alamoye Comprehensive High School, Aramoko-Ekiti.

 

The students, in their presentations, described child development and good governance as inseparable, noting that child development represents “good governance translated into action and policies.”

 

They explained that good governance entails responsible leadership that guarantees protection, quality education, healthcare, nutrition, accountability and improved living standards for citizens.

 

The students also acknowledged their roles in nation-building, stressing the need for children to support government efforts by protecting public property, obeying laws, maintaining order and becoming responsible citizens.

 

Aderiye, who monitored the competition, commended the students for their intellectual depth, confidence and understanding of governance and societal values.

 

She encouraged them to shun fear and self-doubt, reminding them that greatness resides in every child willing to dream, learn and lead responsibly.

 

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Bayode Ogunmola, described children as the foundation of every progressive society.

 

According to him, investment in children’s education, welfare and moral upbringing remains a top priority of government.

 

Ogunmola said the symposium was designed to equip children with the knowledge, confidence and values required to become responsible leaders, patriotic citizens and future change-makers.

 

In their remarks ,the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Mrs Adetoun Agboola, and the Director-General, Civic Orientation and Citizenship, also commended the administration of Gov. Biodun Oyebanji for placing children at the centre of governance through policies and programmes promoting inclusive education, improved access to quality learning and enhanced healthcare services.

 

The commissioner later presented cash prizes to participating speakers and other contributors in recognition of their outstanding performances at the symposium.

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Education

Tinubu Appoints Professor Segun Aina as New JAMB Registrar

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President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), following the completion of the tenure of Professor Is-haq Oloyede.

According to the announcement, Professor Oloyede’s second and final term as JAMB Registrar will officially end on July 31, 2026, paving the way for Professor Aina to assume leadership of the nation’s foremost tertiary admissions body.

Professor Aina, who will turn 40 in July, is widely recognised as a respected academic, technology expert, and specialist in digital systems and institutional reforms. His appointment is seen as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s educational and examination systems through innovation and technology-driven administration.

The new JAMB Registrar obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent. He also earned a Master’s degree in Internet Computing and Network Security, alongside a PhD in Digital Signal Processing from Loughborough University. In addition, he completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.

A Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Aina began his early professional journey with JAMB during his National Youth Service. His experience with the examination body reportedly gave him deep insight into Nigeria’s admission and examination processes, shaping his later contributions to digital examination reforms and systems development.

With more than 15 years of professional experience, Professor Aina has worked closely with federal and state governments on digital transformation, institutional reforms, and technology-driven policy implementation. At the age of 39, he became one of Nigeria’s youngest professors in Computer Engineering and is now set to become the youngest Registrar in JAMB’s history.

Over the years, he has also served as a consultant to several examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council (NECO), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and different State Ministries of Education, where he contributed to improving examination integrity, ICT systems, and digital administrative processes.

Professor Aina is also affiliated with several professional organisations, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

President Tinubu expressed confidence that the newly appointed registrar would build on the achievements of his predecessor and further reposition JAMB through innovation, efficiency, and transparent administration.

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