UNILAG Alumni Awards Scholarships to Indigent Students

Funmi Ogundare
Miss Ndidiamaka Egbe, is a 400 level student of the department of Arts and Social Science, University of Lagos. Brought up in a polygamous home, her parents who are farmers and reside in the village, could not cater for her needs, as a result, she had to hawk plantain and clothes to be able to secure, finance her admission and fend for herself.

Another, Mr. Oluwafemi Adeniji, is also a 400 level student of the department of Social Work, of the same institution. His mother is a petty trader, while his father is unemployed. The family is affected by lack of finance and support for his education, as a result, feeding himself and processing his final year project has become a challenge.

Egbe and Adeniji, have one thing in common. They are some of the 20 less privileged, but brilliant University of Lagos (UNILAG) students who are to benefit from the institution’s alumni scholarship.
They were referred and recommended for support by the Counselling Unit of the institution and would be presented with a cash sum of N150,000, each, during the fifth Professor Babatunde Sofoluwe memorial lecture, scheduled to hold on May 12, at the J.F Ade Ajayi Auditorium.

The Chairman, UNILAG Alumni, Lagos state branch, Dr. Lukumon Adeoti, who made this known, recently, while briefing journalists, said it made the promise to assist the indigent students during its Annual General Meeting(AGM), at the state level in February, this year, so that they can achieve their dreams, adding that it was also aimed at honouring the late vice chancellor who was benevolent when he was alive.

According to him, “ we promised to give the indigent students money because most of them are very brilliant. Are we going to say because there is no money, they will not achieve their dreams? This is the first of its kind from the alumni and we hope to sustain it.”

Emphasising on the lecture to honour the late VC, he said, “When the man was alive he was able to contribute immensely to the university. He was an embodiment of simplicity and served this university so well throughout his course. He deserved to be immortalised. That is why the alumni have chosen to celebrate him yearly.”

On what the association missed about him, Adeoti said, “not only the association but the university as a whole have missed him. He was very humble; he used to give hope to the less privilege. He sponsored up to 72 students when he was alive and most of them are graduates today. I personally benefited from him. He was always advising me especially on my publication and that advice has really helped me.”

The lecture, titled, ‘The Administration and Management of a University in a Recessed Economy: The Case of Nigeria’, will be delivered by the Vice Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Professor Nuhu Yakub, the Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa is the Special Guest of Honour, while the Managing Director, Mobil Oil Nigeria PLC, is expected to chair the occasion.