The Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode (MOK) Foundation has distributed scholarships to 300 secondary school students to cover their West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees, an initiative aimed at boosting educational development in Kwara State.
The event, held on Wednesday at the Offa Grammar School (OGS) Auditorium marks a 50% increase in the number of beneficiaries from the previous year.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Saheed Lawal Temitope highlighted the steady expansion of the initiative since its inception, reflecting the vision of the founder, Alhaji Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode to ensure financial constraints do not truncate the academic dreams of Kwara’s youth.
Delivering his keynote address, Mr. Lawal expressed gratitude to school principals for their transparent role in identifying students truly in need. He emphasized that the scholarship is a merit-based responsibility and not a competition with the government or other organizations.
“This support is a reminder that people believe in you and your potential. We expect you to remain focused, disciplined, and committed to your studies. Please see this opportunity as motivation to become positive contributors to society in the future.” He said.
The ceremony featured thought-provoking sessions from educational experts focusing on career guidance and the importance of cultural identity.
Delivering his lecture, Mr. Aderemi Oladepo (Weakypedia Linchpin Consult) cautioned parents against forcing children into career paths to please themselves.
He shared his personal success story of discovering his talent for teaching Mathematics in the Yoruba language, proving that skills and passion supersede prestigious titles.
Another Speaker, Mr. Abdulakeem Dunmoye (representing Dr. Azeez Yisa Bukola of Lens Polytechnic) argued that global technological giants like China and South Korea achieved industrialization by teaching and innovating in their mother tongues, encouraging students to have cultural confidence in their identity.
The Chairman of Oyun LG ANCOPSS, Alhaji Kazeem Kadiri, and the Secretary of Kwara State ANCOPSS, Mr. Laolu Oyawoye, both praised the Foundation for its consistency.
They urged teachers to do their best despite current economic challenges and called on students to face their studies squarely to justify the investment.
Other speakers, including Chief Lanre Shittu (ODU Home Branch Chairman) and Oluwarotimi Frank Komolafe (Mr. Kajọgbadun), commended MOK Foundation for its diverse interventions in agriculture, health, and infrastructure, noting that the foundation’s work has changed the narrative positively for the state’s underprivileged.
On their parts, Parents and Principals of the beneficiary schools praised MOK Foundation for its transparency and for targeting students based purely on merit and need.
Faces of Teachers and Guardians;
Pictorial highlights of Beneficiaries;
The students themselves expressed a renewed sense of purpose, viewing the scholarship as a social contract to excel while expressing gratitude to the Foundation for the opportunity given to them to excel in their academic pursuance.
More pictures from the event
