By Folayimika Akanbi
The Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, has flagged off the distribution of 1,000 West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) forms and 2,000 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms to his 3,000 constituents.
The gesture, which is 2026 edition, is an annual educational support scheme of the legislator as part of his scholarship for indigent students and orphans in his senatorial district.
Wind Gate News reports that the scholarship is being routed through Saliu Mustapha Foundation (SMF).
The foundation said the initiative is aimed at expanding access to education and easing the financial burden on parents, adding that it is part of the Senator’s long-standing commitment to educational development and youth empowerment in the state.
Addressing the beneficiaries at the flag-off ceremony in Ilorin, the Secretary of the Education Committee of the Senator’s Scholarship Scheme, Yakub Ishowo, explained that the intervention is in line with the foundation’s strategy to reduce the school dropout rate, promote academic excellence, and provide equal opportunities for children from less-privileged backgrounds.
He disclosed that 1,000 WAEC and NECO forms and 2,000 UTME forms are being distributed through political party structures, key stakeholders, community-based associations, traditional institutions, political associates, and the foundation’s online application platform via www.saliumustaphafoundation.com.
“The founder of the foundation and Turaki of Ilorin, Senator Saliu Mustapha, is so passionate about the educational growth and development of Kwarans. He has been doing this for more than a decade before he occupied elective position. He has remained steadfast in using education as a tool for social transformation,” Ishowo said.
He recalled that, in 2023, the legislator introduced an automatic university scholarship scheme for the beneficiaries of the WAEC, NECO and UTME forms who recorded outstanding performances in their O’Level examinations and UTME, a policy that had since benefitted hundreds of students currently studying in universities across Kwara and Osun states.
Ishowo, a former President of the Students’ Union at the University of Ilorin, expressed gratitude to Senator Mustapha for his consistent financial commitment and unwavering support for educational advancement, describing the initiative as a timely and strategic investment in the future of the state.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity and remain focused on their academic pursuits, noting that the foundation remains committed to expanding its educational intervention in the coming years.
The beneficiaries and their parents, who were present at the event, expressed gratitude to Senator Mustapha for the gesture, describing it as a life-changing intervention.
They commended the senator for his consistency, compassion, and commitment to education, noting that the initiative has relieved many families of financial burden and restored hope to students from less-privileged backgrounds.
They also prayed for continued strength and success for the National Assembly member in his service to Kwara Central and humanity at large.
Visited 4 times, 1 visit(s) today
