Osun Federal Lawmaker Wole Oke Extends Technical Education Scholarship to 420 Additional Students …Programme now reaches 1,500 beneficiaries as FG adopts free technical education policy

The Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Busayo Oluwole Oke (BOO), has expanded his technical education scholarship scheme with the enrolment of 420 new beneficiaries across the nine Government Technical Colleges in Osun State.

The new enrolment strengthens the five-year-old initiative, which began as a pilot project at the Ijebu-Jesa Government Technical College before it was extended statewide two years ago.

Speaking with newsmen over the weekend, the lawmaker noted that the latest beneficiaries include mostly Year 1 students, as well as Year 2 entrants in eight technical colleges, and Year 1 to Year 3 students at the Ijebu-Jesa centre.

With this fresh addition, the total number of students sponsored under the scheme has grown to about 1,500 — a significant milestone for a programme funded entirely from the lawmaker’s personal resources. Oke reportedly commits approximately ₦15 million per term, totalling about ₦40 million per academic session, to cover school fees, enrolment charges, lesson fees and other related expenses.

The lawmaker’s long-standing push for greater investment in vocational education is also in line with the Federal Government’s recent decision to introduce free tuition in all Federal Technical Colleges nationwide.

Oke described the scholarship as a strategic response to Nigeria’s widening skills gap, escalating youth unemployment and the increasing demand for practical, innovation-oriented expertise. Over the years, beneficiaries of the programme have advanced to higher institutions or established small businesses supported by the skills they acquired.

According to him, “Technical and vocational education remains one of the most reliable pathways to empowering young people. By equipping them with practical abilities and creativity-driven training, we are not only reducing unemployment but also building a new generation of self-reliant Nigerians.”

Administrators across the various technical colleges in Osun say the programme’s impact is already evident, with improved enrolment and graduation rates partly attributed to Oke’s intervention.

As the new beneficiaries commence their academic journey, Oke urged students across the state to take advantage of the opportunity, describing the initiative as an investment in building “a better, brighter and more empowered generation.”

Stakeholders noted that the programme has become a model for community-driven support in technical and vocational training, with some state actors and private individuals examining its structure for possible replication.