The Joseph Adekunle Adegbite Scholarship Foundation (JAASF) has awarded N14m in tuition support to 28 undergraduates after a competitive selection process that attracted more than 6,000 applications from 32 states.
Each of the 28 successful students received N500,000 at the foundation’s annual scholarship presentation held on October 1 at Golfview Suites and Conference Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
The beneficiaries, drawn from public tertiary institutions across Nigeria, emerged from a technology-driven assessment involving online proctoring and multiple evaluation stages.
Applicants first took a 50-question computer-based test within 30 minutes before proceeding to a timed essay exercise. More than 400 candidates advanced to the final stage.
The foundation said the 28 students who scored between 75 and 100 per cent secured the top category of awards, while another 51 participants who scored between 65 and 74.9 per cent received N100,000 consolation prizes each.
The scholarship event focused on the theme, “Raising a Generation Against the Olodo Uprising: Reclaiming the Future Through Education, Excellence, and Purpose.”
Discussions at the event centred on concerns over declining academic standards and the growing pursuit of qualifications without corresponding knowledge and competence.
Participants were urged to reject examination malpractice, “sorting”, miracle centres, and inappropriate use of artificial intelligence in academic work.
The keynote speaker stressed the long-term consequences of shortcuts, saying, “every shortcut is a loan at compound interest.”
Essay topics were tailored to the academic levels of the applicants and focused on national development challenges.
Freshers examined community development initiatives, while second-year students proposed solutions to security challenges. Third-year students considered the influence of social media on civic engagement and political consciousness.
Fourth-year students explored agricultural expansion as a way of reducing Nigeria’s dependence on petroleum revenue, while final-year candidates, largely from medical disciplines, examined ways to address the shortage of healthcare professionals and improve healthcare delivery.
The foundation said the submissions demonstrated the capacity of young Nigerians to engage with national challenges and develop ideas capable of contributing to meaningful change.
Beyond financial assistance, JAASF said the scholarship programme was designed to promote intellectual rigour, discipline, ethical conduct and personal responsibility among beneficiaries.
The foundation said it planned to attract at least 15,000 applications for the 2027 edition.
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