By Stephen Adeleye
Omala (Kogi), Oct. 10, 2026 – The lawmaker representing Omala State Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Umar Yahaya, has unveiled a ₦6 million education support scheme for students in the area.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Omala, Yahaya, popularly known as Connect, said the initiative targets 101 beneficiaries.
According to him, it includes a ₦1 million scholarship for the candidate with the highest score in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from Omala Local Government Area.
He said under the scheme, 100 students drawn from public and private schools across the 11 wards of the council will each receive ₦50,000, amounting to ₦5 million, while the remaining ₦1 million is reserved for the best UTME performer.
The lawmaker said the programme will also feature distribution of educational materials to schools across the 11 wards.
The materials include notebooks, recommended Mathematics and English textbooks, school bags, among others.
He said the intervention was designed to ease financial burden on parents, reward academic excellence and improve access to learning materials for students in the constituency.
In his remarks, the Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, who represented Gov. Ahmed Usman Ododo, commended Yahaya for investing in education.
Jones said the initiative complements the state government’s efforts to improve the education sector and demonstrates effective collaboration between elected representatives and government institutions.
He noted that provision of learning materials would enable students to concentrate on their studies while reducing financial pressure on their families.
The commissioner described the cash awards and scholarship for outstanding students as a motivation for hard work and healthy academic competition.
He urged other political leaders and stakeholders to emulate the gesture by supporting initiatives that expand educational opportunities for children.
Jones used the occasion to highlight the Ododo administration’s education policies, including free education in public schools and payment of external examination fees.
He disclosed that the state government had committed 30 per cent of its annual budget to education, stressing that sustained investment was necessary to improve learning outcomes and strengthen public universities in the state.
He called on residents of Omala and Kogi East in general to continue supporting government policies aimed at expanding access to education and promoting development.
The ₦6 million scheme is expected to provide financial relief to students, recognise outstanding academic performance and extend learning support to schools across Omala LGA.
