By Rosemary Etim Bassey
The Proprietor of Abraham’s Seed International School, Lagos, Abraham Olaluwoye, has extended his educational scholarship initiative to cover free National Examinations Council (NECO) examination sponsorship for candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Olaluwoye said the initiative was aimed at giving more young people access to education and easing the financial burden of external examinations on indigent students and their parents.
He explained that the latest intervention was an extension of an existing scholarship programme that had supported candidates sitting external examinations, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and NECO.
Unlike previous sponsorships limited to his school, he said the new initiative was open to candidates from different parts of Lagos State, who participated in a scholarship examination to determine beneficiaries.
The proprietor said the sponsorship package cost about N120,000 per candidate, adding that the number of beneficiaries would depend on available resources and support from members of the public.
He appealed to philanthropists, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative to enable more disadvantaged children to benefit.
Olaluwoye said the intervention was his way of giving back to the community where he was born, educated and raised his family.
“I was born in this community close to 60 years ago. I attended schools here, started my church here, got married here and raised my children here. So, what can I do to give back to the community that has blessed me so much? That is what I am doing,” he said.
He added that the programme was also intended to discourage social vices among young people, including drug abuse, bullying and sexual molestation, noting that poverty and lack of support could expose children to harmful influences.
“Some of these children might have gone into social vices because of poverty and a lack of support from the public. We want to help them overcome these challenges and give them an opportunity to build a better future,” he said.
The proprietor disclosed that the scholarship programme had awarded three-year scholarships to more than 400 students over the past decade.
According to him, the school also awards scholarships to 40 students annually, with 10 beneficiaries each from the nursery, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary sections.
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