A total of 5,441 students have been shortlisted for the 2025/2026 Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) Scholarship and Bursary Award following the completion of the selection process, the Scholarship Board has announced.

The Board disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Secretary, Dapo Oke, stating that the successful candidates emerged from more than 12,000 applications received for the programme after a rigorous screening and evaluation exercise.

According to the Board, 1,735 applicants qualified for the scholarship award, while 3,706 others were selected for the bursary scheme.

It explained that the bursary beneficiaries comprise 2,026 students from Ogun West Senatorial District, 946 from Ogun Central and 734 from Ogun East.

Providing a further breakdown of the Ogun West beneficiaries under the bursary scheme, the Board said Ado-Odo/Ota produced 308 successful candidates, Imeko-Afon 302, Ipokia 500, Yewa North 465 and Yewa South 451.

For the scholarship category, Ado-Odo/Ota recorded 425 beneficiaries, Imeko-Afon 186, Ipokia 493, Yewa North 361 and Yewa South 270, bringing the total number of scholarship recipients to 1,735.

The Board, however, disclosed that several applications were rejected after irregularities were detected during the verification process.

It said some applicants submitted forged academic records, fake transcripts, results without institutional stamps, falsified local government identification certificates and other fraudulent documents, leading to their disqualification.

According to the statement, candidates enrolled in sandwich or part-time programmes, as well as students of private institutions not covered by the scholarship’s operational guidelines, were also disqualified.

“However, the Board discovered various irregularities and malpractices among applicants, including a wide range of applications from sandwich/part-time students and students from private institutions not covered by the award’s operational regulations.

“A significant number of applicants submitted fake documents, including forged academic records, unverified transcripts, and results without institutional stamps.

Many candidates had already graduated from their institutions, and some used fake local government identification certificates, leading to their disqualification,” the statement read.

The Board said successful candidates would be invited to the award presentation ceremony on a date to be announced later, adding that further guidelines would be communicated to facilitate the collection of the awards.

It congratulated the shortlisted beneficiaries and commended Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, for sustaining the scholarship and bursary initiative, describing it as a significant intervention aimed at supporting students across Ogun State.