Approximately 300 secondary school students drawn from all three senatorial districts of Kwara State have been awarded scholarships by the Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode (MOK) Foundation to cover their 2026 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees.

The scholarship distribution ceremony, held on Wednesday at the Offa Grammar School auditorium, marked a significant expansion of the foundation's educational intervention. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the MOK Foundation, Mr. Saheed Lawal, revealed that the 300 beneficiaries represent a 50 percent increase from the previous year.

"When this journey began in 2024, we supported 130 students. In 2025, the number increased to 200, and now, 300 students across the state are benefiting from this initiative," Lawal stated. He noted that the growth of the scheme reflects the vision of the founder, Alhaji Muhydeen Okunlola Kayode, to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent brilliant but indigent students from completing their secondary education.

The initiative, themed "Continuing the Journey, Lighting the Path to Brighter Futures," covers students from various public schools, including 17 secondary schools in the Offa and Oyun axes. Educational stakeholders, including principals and representatives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), commended the foundation for its sustained investment in human capital, noting that such interventions provide critical relief to parents and motivation for students to excel.

The MOK Foundation, known for its grassroots-focused work, reiterated its commitment to expanding its footprint in education, healthcare, and youth empowerment to uplift the vulnerable across Kwara State.

He also said that the growth of the programme underlined the vision of the foundation's founder to ensure that financial challenges do not deny any child access to education.

"Beyond the numbers, today is about hope, encouragement and giving students the confidence to dream bigger. Education remains the strongest tool for change, and this is our way of investing in the future of our young people," he said.

The 2026 WAEC scholarship programme, tagged: 'Continuing the journey, lighting the path to brighter futures', is part of the foundation's educational intervention targeted at indigent students in the state.

Delivering a lecture at the event, Director of Weakypedia Linchpin Consult and Educational Services, Mr Aderemi Oladepo, commended the founder for his sustained investment in education, urging the beneficiaries to remain focused and disciplined in their studies.

"If you have a sound education, it will stay with you for life," Oladepo told the students, while encouraging parents and guardians to provide necessary guidance and support.

Parents, teachers and other stakeholders at the event praised the consistency and impact of the scholarship programme.

The MOK Foundation WAEC scholarship is an annual initiative designed to promote access to education, encourage academic excellence and ensure that no willing student in Kwara is left behind due to financial limitations.