In a bid to assist educationally gifted students across senior secondary schools in Lagos state, non-governmental organization, UR4Africa Project, has over the last six months, mentored and guided the students in its pilot College Preparatory Program.

The program, which is supposed to help the students prepare for university, assisted in nurturing and honing their skills across different sectors including arts and crafts, robotics, public speaking, fashion and design and so on while preparing them for higher studies.

Celebrating the students that completed the program over the weekend, the project saw the graduating students, present a portfolio of their work and were rewarded with educational scholarships of varying amounts.

Founder, UR4Africa Project and Public Art Africa, Oluwabusola ‘Shola’ Ajayi, said the project was established to empower young people so that they can use their talent to figure out their career. She added that the students are taught critical thinking, confidence, team work and setting/attaining future goals.

She added that the college preparation program was a way to guide and reward exceptional students from government-owned secondary schools. Revealing that teachers in public schools in Lagos district 1 helped to identify brilliant students in their classes, they then introduced the program to interested students and their parents.

“Between now and September, we will start working with a new cohort of SS1 students and by the end of September, they will be in SS2 and transition into the college prep program. We aim to cover other districts in Lagos and add other states to build a strong community of students preparing for university.”

She added that many of the students want to ‘japa’ but they are encouraged instead, to explore other parts of Africa like Ghana and Cotonou to help them see the continent has a lot to offer.
Lead mentor for the college prep program, UR4Africa, Abraham Adonor, said selecting the students for the program was a rigorous process and 30 students were selected from seven senior secondary schools across the district.

He regretted however that during the course of the program, 20 students dropped out but they decided to still carry on with the remaining 10.

He added that he is driven by passion of seeing young students being mentored to succeed in life. Revealing that he was not given such an opportunity growing up, he said it gives him the chance to give to others what he did not have growing up.

At the showcase finale, he thanked the parents for their sacrifice and encouraged them not to give up on the children. “Our mission is to empower these young minds on their journey to tertiary education and they have shown ddiscipline and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Ajayi said all the students received scholarship of varying amounts but would only be given when they get admitted into university. She added that they would also sponsor their JAMB registration and will continue to provide mentorship to monitor their growth throughout their university studies.

The following got N20, 000 towards their first year: Owolabi Kehinde, Amusa Rofia, Uche Chisom, Abdulyekini Odunayo, Ajiboye Favour, Dodoh Mary Emmanuella and Olaitan Iyanuoluwa. Ogunade Michael got N50, 000 while Chris Jasmine went home with N75, 000.

The overall best student, Israel Salome Oluwadarasimi, an SS2 Arts student of Ijaiye-Ojokoro Senior High School, smiled home with the grand prize of N150, 000. Praising the other competitors for their dedication, she thanked the organisers for believing in them by giving them a chance to excel.

The standout student who said she wants to study law at the University of Lagos after writing her JAMB examination next year, said she also plans to combine her education with fashion designing, which she has a strong flair for already.