Target 2,000 yearly scholarship for public school students nationwide by 2027

The Lanre Briggs Foundation (LBF) has launched a fully funded scholarship programme to ensure brilliant students in public secondary schools are not denied access to higher education due to financial constraints.

The inaugural edition of the scholarship programme was held on May 17, 2025, at Imade College in Owo, Ondo State, where 22 outstanding students emerged as beneficiaries out of 170 candidates who sat for a rigorous selection examination organised by the Foundation.

Speaking at the event, the Founder of the Foundation, Dr. Lanre Briggs, said the initiative recognises the growing crisis in access to tertiary education, especially the rise in the number of intelligent students who drop out after secondary school due to the rising cost of tertiary education.

Briggs added that the effort was also born out of a desire to complement the government’s limited capacity in addressing the crisis in educational access

He emphasised the urgency of the intervention, noting that the government is doing its best, but it cannot do it alone.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to afford university education for their children as the cost of university education is becoming more prohibitive. Lots of bright and brilliant kids after their secondary school drop out as a result of this.

“The government is doing its best but cannot completely solve this problem. There became a need for private individuals to also play their role. Invariably no brilliant child should be deprived of university education due to their underprivileged background,” he explained.

Looking ahead, the Lanre Briggs Foundation aims to further expand the programme significantly across all 18 local government areas of Ondo State.

Briggs said by 2026 the Foundation plans to award 500 scholarships, while the long-term vision is to turn the initiative into a national programme by 2027, sponsoring over 2,000 students across Nigeria yearly.

Beyond financial assistance, Briggs said the Foundation, the through the scholarship programme, hopes to inspire academic excellence and stimulate competition amongst the students in the public secondary schools and drastically curb slothful behaviour among the students.

The scholarship launch was graced by top dignitaries, including the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olayide Adelami, who represented the state government.

The deputy governor commended the initiative and reaffirmed the state’s support for education-focused partnerships.

The event also enjoyed the royal endorsement of the Olowo of Owo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Dr. Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, who served as the royal father of the day and gave his blessings to the initiative.

Ogunoye III described the programme as a noble step toward nurturing the next generation of leaders.

” I must also congratulate the students, the beneficiaries who are from the Imade college, who have been found worthy in their learning.  My advice to them is that they should see this as just a starting point. There will still be challenges ahead. From here, they will go to the university and other higher institutions of learning. They should be well prepared,” he advised.

He appealed to the Federal and State governments to support such initiatives to tackle the rising out-of-school crisis in Nigeria.