Lagos to disburse N380mn for bursary, scholarship 

Lagos is to disburse N380 million as bursaries and scholarships to indigenes of the state studying in different tertiary institutions in the country, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, the special adviser to the state government on education, has said.

A breakdown of the funds, as confirmed by the Lagos State Scholarship Board, shows that over N250 million will be disbursed to 6,368 beneficiaries as bursary awards, while  over N130 million is to be paid to about 573 successful candidates who took part in the 2015/2016 local scholarship computer based screening test.

According to Bank-Olemoh, the bursaries would be for fresh beneficiaries, including those of 2015/2016 set and other sets receiving second and third payments for the years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.

He affirmed the resolve by the government to sustain the scholarship and bursary scheme in spite of the economic meltdown, saying it was to empower indigenes of the stat academically to enable contribute productively to the local and global economies.

“The timely release of the awards demonstrates the priority the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode accords to educating its citizens,” he said adding that the sums would accommodate the backlog of outstanding bursary and scholarship payments, as well as current awards for fresh and subsequent beneficiaries.

Steven Oshinowo, the executive secretary of the state scholarship board, on his part, urged the beneficiaries to exercise patience as disbursement of the funds will soon commence, at which time beneficiaries would be invited to present relevant documentation to receive their bursary or scholarship awards.

It would be recalled that earlier this year, over 689 bursary beneficiaries of 2011/2012 set, were paid along with 60 students from the School of the Blind and 54 others on sport scholarship.

In 2015, the state government also paid N660 million to over 8,567 indigent beneficiaries for bursary, local and foreign scholarships.

JOSHUA BASSEY