Three students in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, bagged scholarships on Wednesday following an essay competition organised by a foundation owned by Nigerian-born footballer, Karim Adeyemi.
Ajala Faheezah, a student of Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Ibadan emerged as the overall winner of the essay competition with the topic “Uniting a nation: The role of football in promoting social inclusion and national peace”
Faheezah went home with a cash prize of N300,000, while the two other students – Abiola Khalid from Oke-Ado High School and Ogundele Emmanuel from Ikolaba Grammar School, won a cash prize of N250,000 and N200,000, respectively.
The trio were also awarded certificates of achievement, and branded books from the Karim Adeyemi Foundation and Access Bank.
In addition to the cash prize and gifts, the winners of the essay competition were awarded scholarships until the completion of their secondary school education.
Speaking after the presentation, Faheezah, on behalf of other winners, commended the foundation for the competition.
According to her, it would help students in no small measure to develop academically.
In his remark, the Chief Operating Officer of the foundation, Olaolu Adedayo, said the foundation began operations barely a year ago and has made numerous interventions in football development in Oyo State. He noted that the essay competition was its maiden edition in education.
He said, “Earlier in the year, the foundation presented a new 24-seater bus to Adeyemi Football Club to assist with mobility and ease of training. Football kits are also frequently supplied to the club in a bid to support their vision of becoming the best football club in Ibadan. KAF launched her first essay writing competition among public secondary schools.
“We believe that education is the key to unlocking potential and creating a brighter future for all and that is why we are proud to offer scholarships to the top three students in public secondary schools in Oyo State based on their performance in the essay competition.”
While collaborating with Adedayo, the President of the Foundation, Abiodun Adeyemi, disclosed that the foundation is poised to support students in realising their educational dreams.
He, however, urged the beneficiaries of the scholarships to make the most of the opportunity.
