Gov Adeleke Rewards Osun WAEC Top Students with Cash Prizes at Imole Scholarship Award

As part of efforts to promote academic excellence across the state, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has rewarded outstanding students in the 2025 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination with cash prizes

The awards were presented on Wednesday at the maiden edition of the Imole SSCE Scholarship Award Ceremony, held at Olagunsoye Oyinlola Hall, Osun State University, Osogbo.

The event which was organised by Electronic Collections Group (ECG) in collaboration with the Osun State Ministry of Education, was themed “Celebrating Academic Excellence and Rewarding Outstanding Students in SSCE (WAEC).”

No fewer than 31 students drawn from the 30 local government areas of the state were honoured at the ceremony with each bagging a cash prize of N100,000, while the overall best student in the state was awarded N1 million.

In addition to the students’ rewards, teachers who prepared the candidates across the nine WAEC subjects were each given N50,000, while their respective schools received educational materials to support learning.

Speaking at the event, Adeleke said the initiative was aimed at raising a generation of enlightened youths, urging the beneficiaries to remain focused and strive for greater achievements.

He said, “We are raising a generation that will not walk in darkness. To our awardees, you are that light. But your light must shine beyond this stage, into your future.Today, we honour excellence from the grassroots to the peak. Our gathering is a salute to excellence.

“I commend the Ministry of Education, our teachers, and school administrators. Day after day, you shape minds and build character. I also appreciate the partnership of Electronic Collections Group for aligning with this vision. Thanks for being a positive partner.

“We also celebrate a proud son of Osun who emerged as last year’s Overall Best Student in Nigeria. Huge congratulations.”

Earlier, the ECG Coordinator, Akinmade Akintoye, said the scholarship scheme would become an annual programme designed to motivate students, teachers, and schools.

“Each of the best students in the 30 local government areas received N100,000, while the overall best got N1 million. This is to encourage future leaders to stay focused despite distractions,” he said.

Akintoye added that the list of awardees was provided directly by WAEC headquarters, noting that the initiative aligns with the governor’s education agenda.

He further stated that the programme has already begun to yield positive results, pointing out that Osun State rose to become the seventh-best performing state in education in Nigeria within the first year of Adeleke’s administration.

“We implore schools not to relent. This is just a stepping stone; the sky is the limit,” he said.

The overall best student in the state, Ajani Oluwagbotemi, a public school student from Atakunmosa East LGA, thanked the State Governor Ademola Adeleke, expressing his desire to study Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

“The motivation for success kept me going. I studied mostly indoors. I feel very excited at the scholarship award. God made my struggles to count and my parents were there for me,” he said.