In line with its goals of promoting,facilitating and contributing to the development of qualitative female Nigerian professionals and leaders, a non-profit organization, Ajesola Solarin Majekodunmi Foundation (ASMAF) has decided to offer schorlaships to five female
undergraduates from the nation’s public universities.
Speaking at the Foundation’s 2023/2024 Schorlaship Award and Fund Raising Ceremony held in Lagos on Thursday,the founder of the Foundation, Professor Ajesola Majekodunmi disclosed that the program was designed essentially to provide financial assistance to brilliant students pursuing course leading to professional careers in accountancy,Law, Medicine,Geology,Dentistry among others.
According to her,” I was influenced to set up the Foundation based on my observation way back in my undergraduate days how some brilliant but indigent female students in public universities go through a lot of stress to pay their school fees
The first female medical professor in Remo, Ogun State said the Foundation would also mentor the students by attaching them to individuals who have succeeded in the careers they are aspiring to.
Professor Majekodunmi stressed the need for the girl child to be given the best opportunity in education so that she could be reckoned with in the society
Emphasizing that the beneficiaries cuts across the six geopolitical zones of the country, adding that,”it has been devoid of ethnic or tribal consideration”
“We have trained doctors, lawyers,engineers and dentists from indigent families whose parents could not afford their university education,now they have become the breadwinners of those families” she stated.
She appealed to individuals, corporate bodies to support the Foundation in it’s effort at raising funds for these students,adding that,”besides the five beneficiaries of 2023/2024 Scholarships Award,17 girls had so far benefitted from the scheme.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Professor Bolaji Awosanoye who chaired the occasion commended the founder of ASMAF for addressing the crucial issue of gender inequality in Nigeria through the schorlaship scheme.
He also appealed to well meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies to support this laudable project adding that, in so doing “we are laying a worthy legacy for generation yet unborn ”
“I foresee the beneficiaries of ASMAF becoming an army of philanthropists and supporters of other women and promote similar worthy causes and lift girls out of poverty and inequality by this noble gesture “he added.
READ ALSO: Man Impregnates Daughter, Buys Abortion Drugs In Ogun
Prof Uche Udeani, a member of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Screening Committee disclosed that the Foundation started with 100 applicants and gave scholarships to four which met our condition, adding that, “this year we have 795 applicants which includes men.Only five female students passed the screening exercise.” She explained.
According to her,” We have been giving
schorlaships to indigent female students since then except during COVID-19 period in 2020.”
She gave the names of this year’s winners as
Opeyemi Dorcas Ehindero,100 level student of Department of Medicine and Surgery,Obafemi Awolowo University from Ondo State; Idris Zulaikha Omayoza,300 level.student of Department of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University from Kogi; Wabba Angelina,100 level of Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Maiduguri, Borno State; Onasanya Mojisola Oluwaseyi, 200 level Department of Nursing, Obafemi Awolowo University from Ogun State and Agbaje Ameenat Omadasola,300 level, Department of Geology, Federal University,Lokoja from Osun State.