Kogiflame
Kehinde Akinpelu
No fewer than 611 pupils and students in Kwara State received scholarships from a non-governmental organization, Bayo and Bunmi Babalola Foundation (BBBF) during the ninth edition of the scholarship scheme.
The co-founder of the charity organization, Engineer Pastor Sunday Adebayo Babalola speaking during the 9th edition of the scholarship ceremony on Thursday in Omu-Aran, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State explained that the beneficiaries included 407 pupils in secondary schools and 204 students from tertiary institutions.
BBBF had in the past eight editions given scholarships to thousands of Kwarans.
Babalola in his address thanked God for giving them the enablement to continue to sponsor the scholarship awards.
He also commended his wife, Pastor Mrs Bunmi Babalola who is also co-founder and co-sponsor, BBBF, for her great contributions and investments in the scheme. He also thanked the organizing committee members for their efforts to the success of the scheme.
He charged the recipients of the scholarship to maximize the opportunity by being God-fearing, studious and hard working as well as being good ambassadors of the scheme, their families, their state and Nigeria at large.
Babalola said the recent information by UNICEF that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with about 18.4 million is very sad.
He stated that such unenviable retrogression is very sad.
He said: “It is more worrisome when viewed against the backdrop of billions of naira said to have been spent by the federal and state governments on education and more specifically on school feeding programmes of the FG.
“The Federal Government under the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, reportedly spent multi-billions of naira on the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).
“The then National Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which was run by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (MHADMSD), Dr Umar Bindir, had in April 2022, during a two-day stakeholders’ consultative workshop on the development of a national policy for NHGSFP in Abuja, said the Federal Government was spending about N12 billion monthly on the NHGSFP.
“President Bola Tinubu, while assenting to the 2024 budget, said that there is N100 billion allocation for the school feeding programmes.
“According to him, the provision will serve as a stimulant to encourage attendance in schools and reduce the problem of out-of-school children.
“President Bola Tinubu said: ‘One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100 billion provision for the feeding of school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage school enrolment and address malnutrition among school children.’
“I will be meeting with local governments at sub-national levels so that we can collaborate and jointly implement an all-inclusive programme.”
“It is even reported that, given the galloping inflation which is about 34% according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the National Home-Grown Feeding Programme, FG now requires N540 billion to implement the programme in 2024.
“Having reports of humongous spending on the programme without verifiable results is a disservice to the nation.
“I suggest that the government should fine-tune its strategies and machinery for effective and efficient results.
“Let us all salvage the education sector and advance the nation and humanity.”
The Organising Committee Chairman of the scheme, Elder Dele Ajiboye, decried the hardship and high cost of living in the country.
He said: “According to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (June 4, 2024), while reflecting on 365 days of President Tinubu, the President’s economic policies have left the majority of Nigerians in deeper economic austerity; national inflation rate rose to over 30% (34.19% to be precise) in that month with the possibility of it soaring higher; naira value plummeted (from about N460.00/dollar in May 2023 to N1,600.00/dollar in June 2024); exodus of multinationals leading to worsening unemployment.
“The result is that prices of food and essential household items have skyrocketed. Health care is out of reach, security situation has become treacherous while transportation and education have suddenly become luxuries.
“Government policies seem to have mortgaged our present without giving room for any hope for tomorrow.”
