FCT EDUCATION SECRETARY COMMENDS UNILAG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OVER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD TO INDIGENT FCT STUDENTS

FCT EDUCATION SECRETARY COMMENDS UNILAG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OVER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD TO INDIGENT FCT STUDENTS

The Mandate Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Dr Danlami Hayyo has commended the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Alumni Association, FCT Branch over the award of scholarship to 28 brilliant but indigent students drawn from public secondary schools across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Mandate Secretary gave the commendation  during the award ceremony, which held at the Government Secondary School, Garki, Abuja on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Dr Hayyo who was represented at the occasion by the Director, FCT Secondary Education Board, Hajiya Fatima Gambo Babba, described the association’s intervention as one of the most significant contributions to the territory's educational sector and thanked them for their support.

"Today we are witnessing one of the kindest gestures extended to us by giving about 28 students from the six area councils scholarships for their first, second, and third terms, and also paying their JAMB, WAEC and NECO exam fees. We sincerely appreciate this gesture," the Mandate Secretary remarked.

Noting that some students find it difficult to pay their school fees, Dr Hayyo stressed that the gesture  would go a long way in alleviating the suffering of some parents.

He also called on NGOs and other individuals to emulate the gesture by the Association, which he said would help to uplift the standards of the FCT secondary education system.

Earlier in her remarks, the Vice Chairman of the UNILAG Alumni Association (FCT Branch), Mrs. Julia Davis disclosed that the scholarship programme is a demonstration of the association’s commitment to ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder academic excellence.

The Vice President explained that the 28 beneficiaries, including students with special needs from GSS Kuje, emerged from a rigorous selection process designed to identify top-tier talent from FCT schools.

"We made sure the students were of excellent report, they have that IQ, we made sure that they were always in the pool of top performers within their various schools. We did an interview for them and these 28 that we are giving the awards to were the ones that came tops," she stated, and specifically commended the beneficiaries from Kuje who excelled despite their physical impairments, a feat she described as a source of great pride for the association.

The Vice Chairman further noted that the scholarship is a yearly initiative funded through the association’s endowment fund, with significant support from the President Worldwide, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, and the FCT Branch Grand Patron, Chief Kanu Agabi.

She said the current package covers JAMB, WAEC, and NECO examination fees, alongside other school charges for the entire SS3 academic session. "We are really focused on continuing it to give back to society, to see that people do not stop education simply because they do not have the money. We don’t want that narrative to continue," Davis added.

While urging the recipients to make the most of this support, Mrs. Davis emphasized that with more resources, the association intends to expand the scheme to include university-level funding, maintaining the high standards associated with the University of Lagos, which she described as the pride of the nation.

Some of the beneficiaries who were filled with excitement, described the scholarship as a rare opportunity and a reward for their determination and hard work and thanked the association for their support.