Out-of-School Children Scramble For Abiodun’s Education Support Programme

As the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria hits 18.3 million, many of the affected children are scrambling to be enrolled for the Education Support Programme instituted by the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in honour of his late son, Gbemiga Abiodun, to acquire skills and continue their education.

A JSS III student of Community Secondary School, Ogijo in Sagamu local government area of Ogun State, Teniola Ogunfowokan, who is among the 1, 277 beneficiaries of the Education Support Programme for the 2026/2027 academic session, told LEADERSHIP he abandoned schooling for eight years since the death of his father in 2018.

The 16-year-old Ogunfowokan, a native of Simadegun in Ogun North East local government area, Atan, education, who was full of appreciation to Governor Abiodun, told LEADERSHIP that he received school materials and other souvenirs from the Gbemiga Abiodun Education Support Programme.

Governor Abiodun had last Friday announced that the programme had increased its reach from 831 beneficiaries in 2025/2026 to 1, 277 for the 2026/2027 academic session, while also introducing entrepreneurship support and digital skills training to equip young people with practical skills for employment and self-reliance.

The programme was established in memory of the late governor’s son, particularly to support students from primary to tertiary levels and seeks to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent young people from pursuing their educational ambitions.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP over the weekend in Ogijo township of Sagamu Local Government Area, the 52-year-old Teniola’s mother, Mrs Bukola Yetunde Ogunfowokan, explained that the family had almost given up hope on the possible continuation of his son’s educational pursuit since the death of her husband.

“Since the death of his father while he was still in JSS3 in 2018, we had told him to forget about schooling, and that was when this opportunity came; he was also admitted to JSS3 even at the age of 16”.

“I also had to leave Simadegun in Atan, where we were, to relocate to Ogijo because of my petty trading to be able to support the children, because Teniola is the only boy, and the two others are girls”.

In an emotionally laden voice, Mrs Ogunfowokan, however, prayed for the state governor and the continued growth of the education support programme so that many other indigent students of the state could benefit more.

Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP recalled that Governor Abiodun, while speaking at the fourth edition of the programme last Friday, 9 October 2026, disclosed that 831 beneficiaries received scholarships totalling ₦99.1 million during the 2025/2026 Award Year.

For the 2026/2027 Academic Session, the programme will support 336 primary school pupils, 584 secondary school students, 83 technical college students, and 274 tertiary institution students, bringing the total to 1,277 beneficiaries.

Abiodun explained that the latest award cycle had been extended to all nine local government areas in Ogun East Senatorial District to broaden access to educational assistance.

Governor Abiodun said the programme was designed not only to ease the financial burden on families, but also to equip beneficiaries with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills needed to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to society.

The governor noted that the technical college category, introduced in 2025, had begun to produce encouraging results, with beneficiaries receiving N150,000 each to acquire basic training equipment.

Governor Abiodun said the initiative reflected his family’s determination to transform the pain of losing their son into opportunities for other young people whose education might otherwise be interrupted by financial hardship.

“Nothing can replace Gbemiga. But through this programme, our love for him reaches young people whose education might otherwise be interrupted by hardship,” he said.

The governor acknowledged the contributions of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, under the leadership of Commissioner Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, to the programme’s implementation and expansion.

The governor disclosed that the application process attracted more than 3,000 online applications, including over 1,500 from Ogun East indigenes, saying that following the selection process, 150 new tertiary beneficiaries were selected, while 124 continuing beneficiaries brought the total number of tertiary scholarship recipients to 274.

Beyond the scholarship awards, the programme will support 80 Senior Secondary School Three students preparing for their examinations and transition to tertiary education through its UTME and SSCE Support Programme.

According to the governor, the intervention will provide assistance with Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration, revision and practice through the LearnOn WhatsApp platform, alongside continued engagement involving students and their parents.