Kogiflame
Every serious leader understands that if you miss the youths, you have missed the future.
Rt. Hon. Matthew Kolawole did not wait for federal power before investing in the next generation – he started right from Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu.
From the very first term, he swung into action by taking development straight to the classroom.
Two blocks of classrooms were constructed in Igori–Bunu Primary School (Odo‑Appe Ward), Gbeleko Primary School (Egbeda Ward) and Idoyi Primary School (Iluke Ward).
These were not promises on paper; they are completed projects that children use every day.
But he did not stop at buildings. He understood that education is also about motivation, competition and exposure. That is why he sponsored Inter‑Secondary School Quiz Competitions for schools across Kabba/Bunu LGA. In 2017, Community High School, Okeofin–Bunu emerged overall winner, followed by St Mary Secondary School, Ayede–Bunu and Wise Virgin Secondary School, Kabba.
The following year, he added an Inter‑Secondary School Debate Competition to sharpen students’ minds and confidence in public speaking.
In 2018, Community High School, Okeoffin won the debate ahead of St. Augustine College, Kabba, while Christ Anglican Secondary School, Kabba clinched first position in the quiz, followed by Wise Virgin Secondary School and St. Barnabas Secondary School, Kabba.
Every winner did not go home with mere handshakes; they enjoyed one‑year scholarships and mouth‑watering prizes for both students and schools.
Beyond competitions, he invested in education endowments. Kabba Development Union (KDU) and Bunu Development Association (BDA) each received a mouthwatering sum to support indigent students, on top of his regular scholarship schemes, distribution of writing materials, school bags and other yearly supports.
For the youths who may not walk the conventional academic path, he opened another door – skills.
In partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), he facilitated training for 155 youths in various trades in the 2018/19 session, and all the equipment for what they learnt were given to them to start life immediately after their training.
The following year about 250 youths were enrolled again for similar training at the Kabba Development Union Skill Acquisition Centre.
To further empower student mobility, he donated two Sharan buses—one to Kabba Students Union and one to Bunu Students Union—enhancing transport for academic and leadership activities.
Between 2017 and 2019, 120 youths were placed on monthly stipends for over two years, reducing hardship and giving them breathing space to plan their lives.
Over 65 graduates were helped into jobs in ministries, agencies and departments at state and national levels – you begin to see a pattern…
This is a man who does not just talk about youths; he invests in them.
Imagine what such a tested hand can do when given the platform of the House of Representatives – where federal scholarships, intervention programmes, and youth projects can be attracted in bigger numbers.
For a constituency that wants its children to rise higher, Rt. Hon. Kolawole is not a gamble, he is a guarantee backed by evidence.
