The Kwara State Education Trust Fund (Kwara-ETF) has awarded full secondary school scholarships to 12 exceptional pupils from public schools, marking the first beneficiaries of the Fund since its establishment in 2021.
The initiative, which Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described as “a dream come true,” will fully bankroll the students’ education through their years in unity schools. The governor said the development reflects his administration’s resolve to expand access to quality education, particularly for children from modest backgrounds.
“Education belongs to all of us. It is our business. But governments alone cannot fully fund education. We must support through other means,” AbdulRazaq said during an orientation for the beneficiaries. “I am truly excited that these pupils are from humble backgrounds. They did not cut corners. They were chosen through a transparent process, and this is just the beginning.”
The governor urged wealthy individuals, philanthropists, and foundations to complement government efforts by sponsoring students and contributing to school infrastructure.
Executive Secretary of Kwara-ETF, Oluwadamilola Amolegbe, explained that the 12 awardees were selected after a rigorous multi-stage process. From an initial pool of 640 top-performing pupils under the KwaraLEARN digital literacy programme, 180 were sponsored for the National Common Entrance Examination. The top 36 performers were then shortlisted, with 12 eventually chosen based on merit and admission into unity schools.
Programme Manager Zainab Abdulsalam said the Fund is committed to tracking the scholars’ progress, ensuring that investments in KwaraLEARN, the ETF, and other education reforms translate into tangible results. “These pupils represent the face of an average Kwaran. They are being given an opportunity that leads to unlimited possibilities,” she said.
One of the parents, Maxwell Kolawole from Ekiti Local Government, expressed gratitude to the government, describing the intervention as a “pro-masses initiative” that has lifted a huge financial burden.
The Kwara Education Trust Fund was created under a 2021 law to mobilise resources for education through a board of trustees largely drawn from the private sector. It has since received contributions from philanthropists and organisations.
Governor AbdulRazaq pledged that the state government would continue to support the Fund and expand its reach to more pupils in the coming years.
