No fewer than 12,000 students have benefited from the Ekiti State Government’s free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms programme since Governor Biodun Oyebanji assumed office in October 2022.
The Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Student Affairs, Modupe Adetiba, disclosed that 3,400 students are benefiting from the scheme this year alone.
She explained that the initiative is part of the administration’s effort to improve access to higher education and help students achieve their academic goals.
Speaking on Ekiti Loni, Ekiti Today, a live radio programme in Ado Ekiti, Ms Adetiba said the governor has prioritised students’ welfare through policies designed to transform their lives.
She added that the state government has paid over N600 million in West African Examinations I Council (WAEC) fees for 17,859 public school students who sat for the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
According to her, more than N25 million was also paid for the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations for 800 students in government technical colleges across the state.
Ms Adetiba said free Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training and coaching classes are being organised for beneficiaries of the free JAMB programme. The training is coordinated through the State Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education in each of the 16 local government areas to prepare students adequately for the examination.
She noted that the programme is open to all residents of the state, not only indigenes. However, to qualify for the free UTME forms, students must have obtained at least seven credits in their WAEC examinations. She said this requirement is to ensure proper monitoring and prevent wastage.
The governor’s aide also highlighted increases in bursaries and scholarships under the current administration.
She said the bursary for undergraduates has been increased from N20,000 to N40,000, while undergraduate scholarships were raised from N80,000 to N100,000, with over 6,000 beneficiaries recorded since the governor assumed office.
She further stated that more than 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including PhD candidates, have received scholarships of N100,000, N250,000 and N750,000 respectively.
Law School scholarships were also increased in January from N150,000 to N300,000, with 754 students benefiting since the governor took office.
Ms Adetiba added that students living with disabilities have been given special consideration, with their scholarship awards increased to N120,000, compared to N100,000 for other undergraduate students.
She also announced that the Ekiti State Scholarship Board has opened a three-week window for online applications for scholarship and bursary support, urging eligible students to apply through the board’s website.
