- Philanthropist couple has spent ₦100 million on the programme in five years; reusable books to be managed by schools
The Global Health and Indigent Care Foundation (GHICF) has increased the number of its tertiary scholarship beneficiaries from 47 last year to 74 and donated 1,820 textbooks to public secondary schools in Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State.
The Foundation’s President and CEO, Dr. Samuel Oloyo, announced the measures at the 2026 Scholarship and Educational Assistance Programme (SEAP) ceremony in the community.
Oloyo, represented by the SEAP Committee Secretary, Mr. Richard Akanmode, said the 57 per cent increase in beneficiaries stretched the Foundation’s budget and forced an adjustment in individual award amounts so more qualified students could be supported. The beneficiaries are studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, computer science, agriculture and other courses.
He also announced a new textbook intervention for four schools in the community: Community High School, Government Secondary School, and Universal Basic Education Schools 1 and 2, to address a shortage of learning materials.
In the first phase, the 1,820 English and Mathematics textbooks will go to junior and senior secondary students. The books will be managed through a school-based system so successive sets of students can reuse them. Oloyo said the Foundation hopes to extend the scheme to other subjects, particularly the sciences, as resources permit.
Oloyo said the Foundation was established after he saw intelligent children drop out of school for lack of funds. He commended the SEAP Committee, led by Mr. Richard Olonishuwa and Akanmode, for its transparency and diligence.
He urged principals and teachers to cooperate, warning that textbooks alone would not guarantee academic success.
“Dedicated teaching, effective school administration, student discipline, and parental involvement are equally essential,” he said.
He also charged beneficiaries to aim high and give back to society, and urged parents to stay involved in their children’s education.
Olonishuwa, the committee chairman, said Oloyo and his wife had spent ₦100 million on the programme over the past five years. He said the scholarships and educational support are intended to promote healthy competition among students and strengthen STEM education.
He urged school leaders to ensure the books are used for their intended purpose and advised tertiary beneficiaries to take their studies seriously.
The Olu of Ayetoro, Oba Sunday Adewumi Ologe, commended Oloyo and his wife, describing them as blessings to the community. Represented by Chief Samson Arowosafe, he praised the organising committee’s transparency and accountability and urged beneficiaries to take their studies seriously.
The National President of the Ayetoro Gbede Development Union, Mr. Samuel Olorunmaiye, said the community was grateful for the intervention and that the investment “will stand the test of time.”
Speaking for the students, Olonilebi Winner, a Mechanical Engineering student at the Federal University Lokoja, described the support as timely and said it would cushion the effects of the economic hardship.
