Forum hosts education summit, rewards academic excellence

The Forum for Oke Ogun Progress has awarded scholarships to 15 students for academic excellence.

The latest award, which held late December last year (2024) was collapsed with the fourth edition of FFOP annual Education Summit.

Speaking at the Summit, an author, Pension Management and Administration expert and FFOP Founder, Dr Imran Saheed Adekunle, inspired the audience by quoting the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who said: “As leaders, the children of the poor you failed to train will never let your children have peace”.

The Theme of the Summit: “Enhancement of National Productivity Through Youth Empowerment In Nigeria” was extensively discussed with a view to finding lasting solutions to the country’s productivity decline.

Discussants at the  Summit were: Prof. Taofiq Abdul Aziz, a Prof. of Communication and Language Arts, University of Abuja, as well as Prof. Y.K. Yusuf, a Professor of English Language, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, South West, Nigeria.

Dr Saheed disclosed that the Forum has been hitherto offering educational supports to minimum of 10 indigent outstanding University Students from 10 local government areas of Oke-Ogun, Oyo State, south west Nigeria from their first year to final year in the University.

The Summit had participants from all works of life and from different parts of the country, particularly youths from various universities across the country.

Recall  that FFOP held its 1st Education Summit at Oba Wuraola Hall, Iseyin, Oyo State in  January, 2022 with a crucial theme: “Education: A Panacea to Youth’s Drug Abuse, National Insecurity and Economic Challenges in Nigeria”.

The focus was aimed at re-awakening the youths regarding the significance of education on the wellbeing of individuals and the Nation in general due to the fact that security and economic challenges are directly connected to a sharp fall in the literacy level among the youthd across States of the Federation.

The discussants were the Managing Director)/Chief Executive Officer, CRC Credit Bureau, Lagos, Dr. Ahmed ‘Tunde Popoola and Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Federal Constituencies, Dr. Lukman Adisa.

In 2023, the Forum held its 2nd Education Summit in January, 2023 during which “Sudden Wealth Syndrome and the Future of Nigerian Youth” as well as “the Burden of Drug Abuse Among Nigerian Youths: Causes And Remedies” were deeply discussed respectively by the Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE). He was represented by Ayo Lasisi  (Ex-South West Zonal Director of NDE) as well as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Muhammed Buba Marwa (rtd), being represented by Awogbuyi Joyce Olutoyin, Oyo/Osun Zonal Commander.

Similarly, the third edition of the Education Summit was held in January, 2024 with the theme tagged: “Proliferation of Tertiary Institutions and Dwindling Educational Standards in Nigeria: Causes; Consequences and Panacea”.

The discussants were: Vice Chancellor, Summit University, Offa, Kwara State, Prof. Musa Aibinu represented by Dr. Sakinat Folorunsho, Computer Science Department, Prof. Muhammed Shehu, Department of Accounting, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State; Dr. Wale Kareem, Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, represented by Dr. Rashidat Sade Ganiyu, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Oyo State.