The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced an increase in the bursary allowance for students of Lagos origin from N50,000 to N60,000 and a scholarship grant from N200,000 to N225,000 for both indigene and non-indigene students of the state.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement at a one-day interactive session between the governor, students’ union leaders, and stakeholders tagged “Students as Strategic Partners in the Governance Process: Challenges and Prospects for Youth Development” on Tuesday in Ikeja.
The governor also appointed four former leaders of the Student Union Government in Lagos tertiary institutions as special advisers.
The appointees are Eniola Opeyemi, Kayode Samuel, Giwa Moor, and Adeola Adewunmi.
This appointment followed a request by the Lagos Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lekan Alimi, that the students union should have representatives in government to interface between the government and the students.
While reacting to the request, the governor said, “They are important stakeholders in the governance of Lagos State,” urging them to believe in themselves.
He added, “The country is about you and believes in you. You have to believe in yourselves too.”
The Commissioner for Tertiary Education,Tolani Sule, said the interactive session was “a further demonstration of Sanwo-Olu’sadministration’s commitment to quality tertiary education and youth development.”
He commended the management of Lagos-owned universities and the students for avoiding any unrest that could warrant the closure of any of the state-owned institutions.
The commissioner also thanked the governor for making student and staff welfare a priority of the state government as well as embarking on infrastructural development projects across campuses.
The lead speaker, former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University,Prof. Lanre Fagbohun, urged the government to be sincere, saying “Where there is sincere governance, students are always supportive.