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2,504 indigent Kwara students benefit from BBBF scholarship scheme

No fewer than 2,504 Nigerians have benefitted from scholarship awards to indigent students in Kwara State by the Bayo and Bunmi Babalola Foundation (BBBF) since it started eight years ago, the co-founder, BBBF, Engineer Pastor Sunday Adebayo Babalola, has said.

Speaking during the eighth edition of the scholarship ceremony at the Women Empowerment Centre, Isanlu Isin Road, Omu Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara state on Friday, Engineer Babalola said about 651 pupils and students from the state benefited from the current (eighth) edition of the scholarship awards

He also said that 1,120 pupils from junior secondary and secondary schools and 733 students from tertiary institutions benefitted from the past seven editions of the scholarship programmes.

Babalola said he and his wife, Bunmi, initiated and have been sponsoring the scholarship to be grateful to God for his manifold blessings on them and to give back to the society part of what God has blessed them with.

He expressed fulfilment that many of the past beneficiaries of the scheme were making progress and having great positive impacts on society.

He charged the current and past beneficiaries to continue to be good ambassadors of their families, society and the foundation.

“As God continues to bless us, my wife and I will keep sustaining this scholarship and our other philanthropic endeavours.

“We remember with nostalgia how we were provided sufficient educational materials and some comforts of life during our school days. We are saddened that current pupils and students do not have such provisions from the government.

“That is why we decided to contribute our own quota for the upliftment of educational standards and the welfare of the pupils and students. Not that we have all the money, but we are determined to continue to sacrifice, even our comforts, for the educational advancement of the younger generation and for a better tomorrow. We want to leave our society better than we met it.

“It is a non-controversial fact that education is the bedrock of societal growth and advancement. Education is a catalyst for societal advancement. Education reduces sickness, crimes, poverty, superstition, and societal retrogression. Without sound education, there will not be great professionals, business tycoons, local government, state, national, and world leaders.”

He added, “Somebody asked me, Why are you and your wife still investing in the scholarships? I thought about it. What are we doing this for? But when you look at it, the governments, at all levels, have failed us. If the state government, sincerely, has been able to fulfil its obligations to its citizens, there will be no need for this. We would have channelled our resources and energies to something else, like establishing organisations that would provide employment to citizens.

But we have to do this because there are a lot of indigent, good and brilliant students and pupils who have problems of paying even for menial things such as WAEC fees, NECO fees, and their final exams. So my wife and I thought that we should help such students.

“There are brilliant students and pupils in lower schools, too, which probably will withdraw because the government is not doing its part. We hear billions of naira that are rolling in, but we do not see anything in the direction of education or in the direction of infrastructure or creating a very good and enduring business environment.

When you listen to the mass media, all you see are praises for the government, whereas there are things that should clearly be done by the government that are not being done even though we hear and read billions that are being expended.

“It is very sad. How much does it take to do these things? Or to get all students and pupils going to school and give them a conducive study environment? Unfortunately, nationwide, we have a very serious issue there. The politicians are not helping. They are just spending the money and travelling all over the world.

“I wish the government would do its part, and we would not need or have a need to do this scholarship so that we can channel our resources to other pro-people or masses welfare concerns.”

He decried the alleged poor state of the education sector in Kwara State.

He called on all the tiers of government to be committed to education development.

Organising Committee Chairman, Elder Dele Ajiboye, commended Babalola and his wife, Bunmi, for their patriotism and commitment to educational development.

He noted that BBBF has positively affected society through its numerous social, educational, and health interventions.

Ajiboye said, “I commend the family of Engr Babalola for not just keeping up this good work but also for extending its reach. The scheme was extended three years ago to Isin, Okeero, and Ekiti LGAs. The opportunity has been extended to Ifelodun LGA this year.

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