Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady, announced the creation of a N50 million endowment fund dedicated to the overall best female student at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) yesterday.
The announcement coincided with the conferment of a Fellowship Award to her during the college’s 36th convocation held in Yaba, Lagos.
Representing the First Lady, Wahab Alawiye King, Senior Special Assistant to the President for Public Affairs and Strategy, stated that the endowment is part of her ongoing efforts to empower young Nigerian girls towards nation-building and development.
She emphasised the collective responsibility in the education of every Nigerian child, highlighting her initiation of various charitable programmes over the years.
These include the New Era Foundation, which launched the Lagos State Spelling Bee Competition leading to the One-Day-Governor event; the Musical Youth Festival initiative that resulted in the Leadership Academy for Girls; the mentorship programme known as Daughters of Salafi; and the Renewed Hope Initiative, which focuses on education, economic empowerment, health, agriculture, and social investment.
The First Lady dedicated both the Fellowship Award and the endowment to “every young girl who cares to dream.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to creating a supportive environment for productivity in tertiary institutions by providing funding and infrastructural support.
Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives and also a recipient of the Fellowship Award, announced that a bill aimed at eliminating the divide between university and polytechnic education was in progress.
This legislation seeks to prevent discrimination against polytechnic graduates.
Dr Ibraheem Abdul, the Rector of YABATECH, announced that a total of 8,139 students graduated during the convocation ceremony.
