…honours 2026 WASSCE best students with laptops, sustains investment in education, ICT
The Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Senator Shuaibu Afolabi Salisu, popularly known as Omo Yayi, has distributed educational materials to more than 1,000 students across the senatorial district as part of his continued intervention in the education sector.
The materials, which included school bags, exercise books, laptops, JAMB past questions and mathematical sets, were distributed at a well-attended programme held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
The initiative, according to the senator, was designed to support students in their academic pursuits while reducing the financial burden of educational materials on their parents.
Speaking on the theme, “Investing in Education, Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders,” Salisu, who chairs the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, reaffirmed his commitment to promoting education, digital literacy and ICT skills among young people.
He said his sustained interventions in schools, including the provision of ICT centres, science laboratories and other educational infrastructure, were driven by his conviction that education remained a veritable instrument for empowering young people, transforming families and building a better society.
The senator said his passion for education was shaped by his personal experience and the opportunities education had created for him, recalling that he was once the first graduate in his family but that his family now had close to 100 graduates across different professions.
Salisu traced a defining moment in his educational journey to 1980, when, as a student, he represented his school in a quiz and debating programme broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority.
He recalled that after watching the programme, his father encouraged him to remain focused on his education, while his mother advised him not to be afraid of being different whenever he was convinced that he was doing the right thing.
According to him, the subsequent loss of his mother further strengthened his determination to pursue education as a pathway to a better life.
He said his educational journey had taken him from the private sector and banking, where he worked in four banks in technology and operations, to multinational organisations, before serving as Chief of Staff in Ogun State and eventually becoming a senator.
Salisu said his interventions in schools were intended not merely to provide physical facilities but to equip students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities required to excel academically and prepare for the future.
He cited the provision of an ICT centre at Community High School, Oluke, in memory of the late Senator Kole Oyeru, among his interventions, adding that other schools had also benefited from ICT facilities, science laboratories and related projects.
He also mentioned Ishaga Grammar School, Ishaga Orile, whose educational needs, he said, were brought to his attention by Hon. Babatunde Tella.
The senator urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the materials and opportunities provided to them, charging them to become agents of positive transformation in their families and communities.
He expressed the hope that some of the beneficiaries would, decades from now, recount how the educational support they received inspired them to rise to positions of responsibility and contribute meaningfully to society.
Salisu stressed that true empowerment went beyond the distribution of materials or construction of facilities, saying the ultimate objective was to produce beneficiaries capable of transforming their families and communities.
2026 WASSCE Best Students Honoured
As part of the programme, the best male and female students in the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Ogun Central Senatorial District were honoured with laptops.
The male best student, Ogunlade John Omotolani, a physically challenged SS3 student of St. Peter’s Grammar School, received a laptop in recognition of his outstanding academic performance.
The female best student, Busari Kaosarat Aramide, of Community High School, Oluke, was also presented with a laptop for emerging as the best female student in the 2026 WASSCE in Ogun Central Senatorial District.
Also recognised was Paul, an SS3 physically challenged student of St. Peter’s Grammar School, whose academic achievement was highlighted at the event.
Another outstanding student, Ogunlade John Omotolani of Ansar-deen Grammar School, Ishaga Orile, was also recognised for his performance.
The senator expressed delight at the achievements of the students, particularly those from public and less privileged backgrounds, saying their success demonstrated that students could excel when provided with the right support and opportunities.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu commended Senator Salisu for the initiative, describing the distribution of the educational materials as an investment in the future of the beneficiaries.
Arigbabu urged the students to make proper use of the materials and remain committed to their studies, saying the intervention complemented the state government’s efforts to prioritise education.
The commissioner noted that Salisu had consistently supported initiatives aimed at improving learning among young people, stressing that his interventions had extended beyond educational materials to infrastructure, ICT and other projects.
He said the state government’s efforts in technical and vocational education had attracted the interest of other states seeking to understudy Ogun’s model.
Arigbabu further urged the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously, adding that the ministry would be interested in monitoring their progress to assess the impact of the intervention.
He recalled that Salisu had previously supported outstanding students, including two University of Lagos graduates who recorded a 5.0 GPA and received laptops, noting that one of the beneficiaries subsequently secured a full scholarship.
Oke-Ona Grammar School Wins Debate
The event also featured a debate involving 32 students from 16 secondary schools across Ogun Central Senatorial District on the topic, “The Benefits of A1 in Education Outweigh Its Risks.”
Oke-Ona Grammar School, Abeokuta, emerged winner of the competition and received a cash prize of N200,000.
Ebenezer Grammar School came second and received N150,000, while United Comprehensive High School, Wasimi, placed third and received N50,000.
Ibusi Comprehensive High School, Ifo, and Lafenwa High School also received N50,000 each.
The senator reaffirmed his commitment to supporting educational development in Ogun Central, saying his experience had continued to convince him that sustained investment in education remained one of the most effective ways of empowering young people and building a stronger society.
