No fewer than 1,000 indigent senior secondary school students across Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency in Osun State have received free examination forms for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The forms were presented on Wednesday in Ejigbo during the 10th anniversary of the education support initiative spearheaded by Mr Ayodele Asalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The anniversary event attracted students, parents, teachers and party members from across the constituency, all gathered to celebrate a decade of sustained intervention aimed at easing access to higher education for underprivileged youths.
7,000 Forms Distributed in 10 Years
Speaking at the ceremony, Asalu recalled that the initiative began in 2016 with the goal of supporting brilliant but financially disadvantaged students.
“Year after year, we have increased the number of beneficiaries to meet growing demands and widen the scope of our intervention. Ten years after launching this idea, we have distributed over 7,000 WAEC and
UTME forms within this Local Government and Federal Constituency,” he said.For the 2026 edition, 450 students were sponsored for WAEC, while 550 received UTME forms. All WAEC beneficiaries were automatically registered for JAMB, ensuring a seamless transition to tertiary education applications.
Transparent Selection Process
Asalu explained that beneficiaries were selected from 20 public secondary schools in Ejigbo, with the top 15 students from each school chosen based on merit.
Additional candidates were nominated through religious organisations, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to promote fairness, inclusiveness and community ownership of the programme.
He urged the students and their parents to take full advantage of the opportunity by committing themselves to diligent preparation and academic excellence.
Building Hope Amid Economic Hardship
Reflecting on previous editions, Asalu noted that hundreds of students had benefitted annually from the initiative, describing the scheme as a deliberate effort to reduce the financial strain on families, particularly in challenging economic times.
He also called on well-meaning Nigerians to support less-privileged members of society, stressing that investing in education remains one of the most effective ways to foster peace, stability and long-term development.
