By Bukola Hameed
Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI), a non-governmental organisation committed to promoting educational and career developments of youths in Nigeria has provided financial supports to 56 secondary school students to register for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and National Examination Council (NECO) examination.
The awards including 50 UTME and six NECO free forms were presented to the awardees on February 25, 2022 during the 3rd Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony of the organization held at the Alumni Centre, University of Ibadan.
Speaking at the annual awards ceremony, a University of Ibadan don and Chairman, The Nigeria Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE), Oyo State, Engr. Dr. W.O. Ajagbe counselled the awardees on how to marry their personal abilities to their interests in other to attain their desired educational goals.
Dr. Ajagbe charged Nigerian youths to do away with the axiom that “education is a scam”. He added that the educated steer the affairs of humanity while the ignorant are the downtrodden in every society.
He further charged them to be in “the republic of excellence” but not in “the Zaazoo Republic where morality and excellence are at stake”.
The university don added that confidence in oneself, hard work and correct subject combination are recipes for gaining admission to higher institutions of learning in the country as admission to higher institition is now highly competitive.
He urged parents and guardians not to force their wished professional paths or course of studies on their children as that would deter them to give out their best ADDING that students should be counselled on the best courses of studies based on their academic abilities, societal needs and O’ level results.
Also speaking on the programme, Miss Ojelabi, a teacher in Orisun Community Secondary School, Awotan, Ibadan adjured the awardees to leverage on this opportunity as the award was just a test of competence. She said UTME and Post-UTME required more dedicated time for intensive reading leading to outstanding performance.
While expressing her joy, Owolabi Olabimpe Kaosarat, the overall best awardee for UTME for this year’s AEI scholarship award gave accolades to Academic Excellence Initiative for the opportunity and promised to be dedicated to her studies so as to make AEI and her parents proud of her in the future.
While congratulating the awardees, Barrister Openiyi, the Project Coordinator of AEI, Oyo State disclosed that out of the 372 candidates registered for the selection tests, Owolabi Olabimpe Kaosarat emerged the overall best for UTME while David Gifted Obafenwa emerged overall best for SSCE.
Addressing the awardees later on the programme, Mr Badru, a lecturer in the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro and official of AEI Ibadan promised that AEI would constantly get in touch with the awardees and monitor them to ensure they secure admission to their desired courses and higher institutions of learning and even beyond.