Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved in principle the development of a dedicated mobile application that will create a centralised digital registry of Ondo State indigenes studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The proposal, presented to the Governor by his Senior Special Assistant on Scholarship, Samad Orijeminiyi III, in partnership with the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), led by Hon. Tomide Akinribido, is designed to transform the state’s approach to student support, scholarship administration and educational planning.
The proposed platform, described as a Digital Student Registry and Scholarship Management Platform, is expected to help government identify, verify and manage students’ profiles while providing reliable data for strategic planning, budgeting and educational interventions.
According to Orijeminiyi, the initiative will make student support more transparent, efficient, inclusive, data-driven and resistant to fraud, while reducing administrative costs and eliminating unnecessary multi-stage screening processes.
He said the long-term vision is for the platform to evolve into a comprehensive State Human Capital and Student Engagement Ecosystem, capable of supporting alumni tracking, internship placement, skills development, mentorship and entrepreneurship programmes.
The platform is also expected to provide students with regular notifications about local and international scholarship opportunities, eligibility requirements and application deadlines, thereby improving their access to educational opportunities around the world.
Orijeminiyi expressed optimism that the initiative, when implemented, would position Ondo State at the forefront of technology-driven student welfare in Nigeria and also make it easier for private organisations to identify opportunities for Corporate Social Responsibility interventions.
He stressed that effective government support requires accurate information, noting that government cannot adequately plan for or invest in a population it cannot properly identify and understand.
Meanwhile, Governor Aiyedatiwa has also directed the immediate commencement of modalities for a compassionate scholarship for Mr. Adenitan Oluwadarasimi Maxwell, the 12-year-old son of the late Miss Mary Ibiyemi Ogunga, former National President of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS).
Mary Ogunga, who died about three months ago, was the only female to have served as National President of NAOSS.
She was also remembered as a student activist, gender advocate and a trailblazer among young scholars from Ondo State.
Responding to an appeal made by Orijeminiyi, Governor Aiyedatiwa directed that the State Government should cater for Adenitan’s education up to university level.
The gesture, according to Orijeminiyi, is not only an intervention for a child who lost his mother but also a recognition of the sacrifices and contributions of a young woman who devoted herself to the advancement of Ondo State students.
The Governor’s approval of the proposed digital student platform and compassionate scholarship further underscores the administration’s stated commitment to making technology, education and human capital development central to its OUR EASE agenda.
