HCBBO Foundation Awards Scholarships to 203 Students, Expands Education Support Across Ondo State
By Olusegun HOSEA Akure.
17th September,2026.
The HCBBO Foundation, founded by High Chief Bode and Yeye Basegun Betty Osedimilehin of Owo Kingdom, has awarded scholarships and bursaries to 203 students, including 21 medical students, as part of its continued efforts to support indigent academically promising students across Nigeria.
The foundation, which began its intervention programme in 2024, said the initiative was established to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent intelligent students from pursuing their education.
Speaking at the latest scholarship and bursary presentation, the Coordinator of the HCBBO Foundation, Osedimilehin Dele-Johnson, said the foundation was established by High Chief Bode and Yeye Basegun Betty Osedimilehin out of a desire to assist students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
According to him, the foundation conducted its first scholarship edition in 2025 after commencing its intervention programme at the local government level in 2024.
He said the programme was subsequently expanded to Akure South Local Government and has now extended its reach to Akure North and South.
“For Akure North and South, we have 18 schools and 69 pupils benefited. But what we did today, we have a total of 203 students who have benefited, including 21 medical students across Nigerian public universities who are studying medicine or dentistry,” Dele-Johnson said.
He explained that beneficiaries at the secondary school level received ₦100,000, while students in higher institutions received ₦200,000 each.
The coordinator also disclosed that the foundation was considering expanding its intervention beyond Ondo State, with plans to extend the programme to Ile-Ife in Osun State.
Traditional Rulers Commend Initiative
The Owa Ale of Ikare, HRM Oba Barrister Adeleke Adefemi Adegbite, commended the founders for investing in education and urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the opportunity.
Oba Adegbite described the initiative as a service to humanity, expressing the hope that the intervention would prevent some students from dropping out of school because of financial difficulties.
He also encouraged beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and appreciate the opportunity provided by the foundation.
The monarch further called on wealthy Nigerians to emulate the founders by using their resources to support members of their communities, particularly through education.
“Education is the best legacy,” he said, urging individuals and organisations to reach out to students, encourage them and give them hope through scholarships and other forms of educational assistance.
Education , Key to Societal Transformation — Oba Falae
The Olu -Abo of Ilu -Abo, HRM Oba Olu Falae, also commended the foundation and called on individuals and organisations to support education.
He described education as one of the most effective ways of transforming individuals, families and society.
“My charge is that everybody should try to support education in every way he can because it is the most effective and surest way of transforming an individual, his fortune and even society at large,” Oba Falae said.
He congratulated the HCBBO Foundation for sustaining the scholarship programme and expressed hope that more Nigerians with the resources to help would emulate the initiative.
Monarchs Urge Beneficiaries to Excel
Another traditional ruler, Oba Okeluse, thanked the organisers for the scholarship programme and urged beneficiaries to dedicate themselves to their studies. He advised the students to maximise the opportunity, saying their success would bring pride to their parents, the organisers and the country.He also appealed to well-to-do Nigerians to invest in young people through scholarships and other educational interventions, noting that such efforts could contribute to reducing illiteracy in communities.
Oba Oloyede Adekoya, the Ojimo of Okeluse, advocated greater investment in the education of young people, stressing that educated youths would be better positioned to contribute to the development of Ondo State and Nigeria.
Ondo Government Backs Private Scholarship Initiatives
The Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo State Government on Scholarship, Alhaji Samad Orijeminiye, described the HCBBO Foundation’s intervention as commendable and worthy of emulation.
Orijeminiye praised the organisers for sustaining the scholarship programme, noting that its continuity made the initiative particularly significant.
He said the government was encouraging individuals and organisations to complement its efforts because government alone could not meet the educational needs of all students.
“We seriously commend the organiser for coming out with this kind of initiative,” he said, expressing the hope that the foundation would continue expanding the programme.
According to him, the intervention demonstrates that scholarship programmes should be sustainable rather than treated as one-off gestures.
He disclosed that the Ondo State Government, under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, was also working to make scholarship administration more structured and sustainable.
“We are trying to see that scholarship is not treated as a charity. Scholarship should be value-driven,” Orijeminiye said.
He explained that his appointment was aimed at coordinating scholarship opportunities and harnessing resources to support students across the state.
Tertiary Scholarship Disbursement Imminent
Orijeminiye also disclosed that the state government’s scholarship programme for students in tertiary institutions was ready for disbursement.
“Everything is set now, and we have got the approval to disburse scholarship. It is just the last-minute logistics that we are fine-tuning,” he said.
He assured students who had applied and successfully completed the screening process that they would be invited for the flag-off of the disbursement in the coming weeks.
He added that the state government had made scholarship payments a priority and was working to ensure that students no longer had to wait indefinitely for funding.
The HCBBO Foundation’s latest intervention adds to its growing educational support programme, with the organisers reaffirming their commitment to helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue their academic ambitions.
Highlight of the event include, presentation of the scholarship certificate to the Beneficiaries, cultural troop performance and Ewi poetry rendition of thanks giving for the good gesture bestowed on the Beneficiaries by the organizers of the event.
