Foundation awards scholarships to outstanding Ekiti students

Hundreds of students, teachers and community leaders across Ekiti State have been thrown into celebration following the award of scholarships to outstanding secondary school students by the Irawo Owuro Foundation.

The Irawo Owuro Foundation, a charity platform established by philanthropist and education advocate, Oluwadare Owolabi, has presented scholarships to outstanding secondary school students across different schools in the state.

The two-day educational outreach, which covered 10 secondary schools across several communities in the state, culminated in the award of 60 scholarships to deserving students and recognition for exceptional teachers who have distinguished themselves in promoting academic excellence.

The intervention, which commenced on Monday, June 23, marked the first phase of the foundation’s educational support programme and took the outreach directly to schools in Iludun, Iye, Ido, Otun and Igbole communities in Moba, Ido-Osi and Ilejemeje local government areas.

The second phase of the exercise continued with visits to schools in Oye and Ikole Local Government Areas, including Omu Ijelu High School, St. Augustine Comprehensive High School in Oye, Ansar-Ud-Deen High School in Ikole and Odo Oro High School.

At each school visited, high-performing students in key academic subjects were identified and rewarded, while teachers whose efforts had contributed significantly to educational development were honoured for their dedication and commitment.

Speaking during the visits, Otunba Owolabi said his passion for supporting education had remained unwavering for more than three decades.

He added that the scholarship programme was born out of a personal commitment to help young people overcome financial obstacles in their pursuit of education.

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The philanthropist urged beneficiaries to regard the awards not only as recognition for hard work but also as a challenge to remain disciplined, focused and committed to achieving greater success in life.

An emotional moment was recorded during the foundation’s visit to Odo Oro-Ekiti High School, Owolabi’s alma mater, where the philanthropist described the occasion as a homecoming and reflected on how encouragement and support from others helped shape his own educational journey.

He also disclosed plans by the foundation to expand the scholarship programme to more schools across Ekiti State in the coming years in order to reach a larger number of deserving students.

The outreach programme concluded with a courtesy visit to the palace of the Onise of Odo Oro-Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Jemilehin, underscoring the cultural and communal significance attached to the initiative.

School administrators, traditional rulers, students and parents described the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that it would serve as a motivation for students to strive for academic excellence despite prevailing economic challenges.