Kogi lawmaker has distributed over 5,000 educational materials to schools in Omala Local Government Area, Kogi State, as part of efforts to expand access to education for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The items, including exercise books, Mathematics and English textbooks, school bags, and writing materials, were handed out on Friday during the flag-off of the Connect Back-to-School Initiative.
The programme, introduced by Hon. Umar Yahaya, who represents Omala Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, and themed “From Classroom to the Future: Every Child Matters”, was aimed at empowering learning among young students.
Beyond school supplies, the initiative offers scholarships to selected pupils and students and provides more than 400 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration forms every year.
A ₦1 million scholarship was also awarded to the highest-scoring JAMB candidate.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, commended the lawmaker for investing in his constituents’ education.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to quality education and urged parents to enrol their children in public schools, noting that primary and secondary education is free in the state and that the government pays entry and exit examination fees.
He also called on individuals, philanthropists and corporate organisations to support government efforts to improve the sector.
Yahaya said the initiative was designed to support schools and students, particularly those from less-privileged families, across the local government area.
He explained that the scholarship scheme covers selected pupils from ten primary schools, as well as beneficiaries in secondary schools across Abejukolo and other wards. He urged students to stay focused and disciplined, describing education as a key pathway to personal achievement and sustainable development.
The initiative is expected to complement existing government efforts to improve access to education and give disadvantaged children the resources to pursue their academic goals.
