No fewer than 12,000 students have benefited from the Ekiti State Government’s free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) forms programme since Governor Biodun Oyebanji assumed office in October 2022.

The Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Student Affairs, Modupe Adetiba, disclosed that 3,400 students are benefiting from the scheme this year alone.

She said the initiative forms part of the administration’s efforts to improve access to higher education and support students in achieving their academic ambitions.

Speaking on Ekiti Loni, Ekiti Today, a live radio programme in Ado Ekiti, Ms Adetiba said the governor had prioritised students’ welfare through policies aimed at transforming their lives.

She added that the state government had paid over N600 million in West African Examinations I Council (WAEC) fees for 17,859 public school students who sat the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

In addition, the government paid more than N25 million for the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations for 800 students in government technical colleges across the state.

Ms Adetiba said free Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training and coaching classes were being organised for beneficiaries of the free JAMB programme in preparation for the examination through the State Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education in each of the 16 local government areas.

She noted that the initiatives are open to all residents of the state, not only indigenes. To qualify for the free UTME forms, students must have obtained at least seven credits in their WAEC examinations to ensure proper monitoring and prevent wastage.

The governor’s aide also highlighted increases in bursaries and scholarships.

According to her, the bursary for undergraduates has been increased from N20,000 to N40,000, while undergraduate scholarships were raised from N80,000 to N100,000, with over 6,000 beneficiaries recorded since the governor assumed office.

She further stated that more than 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, including PhD candidates, have received scholarships of N100,000, N250,000 and N750,000 respectively.

Law School scholarships were also increased in January from N150,000 to N300,000, with 754 students benefiting since the governor took office.

Ms Adetiba said students living with disabilities have been given special consideration, with their scholarship awards increased to N120,000, compared to N100,000 for other undergraduate students.

She also announced that the Ekiti State Scholarship Board has opened a three-week window for online applications for scholarship and bursary support, encouraging eligible students to apply through the board’s website.