Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Donates ₦50m To Reward Best Female Graduates At JABU

Nigerian First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has established a ₦50 million endowment fund for the best female graduates of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU).

The announcement was made at the university’s 15th convocation ceremony on Friday, where Tinubu, represented by Ekiti State First Lady Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree.

Tinubu said, “Today in my pursuit and support of education, I hereby donate a sum of N50 million as an endowment fund to the overall best female graduating students of Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

“The overall best student today is a female and would be a beneficiary of the money.”

In his remarks, Dr. Joash Amupitan, Pro-Chancellor of the institution, revealed that the endowment fund would be distributed over 10 years, with each year’s best female graduate receiving ₦5 million.

The Pro-Chancellor stated, “Each year, the recipient will receive N5 million, a generous initiative sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu. This award, aptly named the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Prize for Academic Excellence, underscores our dedication to recognising and rewarding outstanding achievement.

“I am pleased to announce that this year, the overall best-graduating student is a female—a testament to the remarkable strides women are making in education. Furthermore, I must commend the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has already credited the university’s account with an impressive N50 million to support this noble cause.”

Professor Olaosebikan Fakolujo, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, urged the graduates to uphold the institution’s values and contribute positively to its development.

The don said, “I like to congratulate all graduates of today and to rejoice with you for attaining the important milestone in your pursuit of university education.

“I am sure that you will be good ambassadors of JABU and make positive contributions to the growth and development aspirations of Nigeria. My charge to you is to continue to imbibe the motto and spirit of the university, ‘For Knowledge and Godly Service.’”

A total of 626 undergraduate students and 114 postgraduate students graduated during the ceremony. Among the undergraduates, 50 earned first-class honours, 290 achieved second-class upper division, 215 obtained second-class lower division, 67 graduated with third-class honours, and four earned pass degrees.