THE Dr Abbey Akinoshun Foundation (DAAF) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding educational opportunities for underprivileged children by awarding tertiary education scholarships to two residents of orphanages in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The scholarships, announced during the foundation’s 2026 Week, are aimed at helping academically promising youths from disadvantaged backgrounds overcome financial barriers to higher education and build better futures for themselves.
Founded by Akinoshun, DAAF supports vulnerable members of society, particularly children in orphanages and people facing health challenges.
Speaking on the rationale behind the scholarship initiative, Akinoshun said investing in the education of underprivileged children was a practical way of empowering them to overcome their circumstances and contribute meaningfully to society.
He explained that his children had provided two scholarship opportunities for indigent students in Nigeria through the foundation, with one of the beneficiaries selected from Oluwakemi Orphanage, Omi Adio, Ibadan, and the other from Dorcas Adunola Oyediji Motherless Babies Home, Iwo Road, Ibadan.
The first scholarship followed a visit by the DAAF team to Oluwakemi Orphanage, where Akinoshun was moved by the financial difficulties facing some of the residents. One of the children had distinguished himself by recording excellent results in his final-year Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.
Recognising the boy’s academic potential and the financial challenges that could prevent him from pursuing higher education, the foundation offered him a scholarship to support his tertiary education.
A similar intervention was announced during the team’s visit to Dorcas Adunola Oyediji Motherless Babies Home, where a resident who had passed her final examinations and was awaiting admission into a tertiary institution was selected for the second scholarship.
The decision followed an account by the home’s manager, Mrs Onyedikachi Denton, who explained the difficulties involved in financing the education of residents as they progressed to higher levels of learning.
Denton said the home currently has 24 residents, all at different stages of their education, adding that the recurring need to fund their schooling placed a considerable burden on the facility.
“So, as one set is gaining admission this year, another will also be preparing the following year, but we survive through the goodwill of people,” she said.
She recalled how the home was established by the late Mrs Dorcas Oyediji and expressed appreciation to DAAF for its continued support, noting that assistance from individuals and organisations was essential to the care and upbringing of the children.
Explaining the broader motivation for the scholarships, Akinoshun said educational support could help break the cycle of disadvantage by giving children from less privileged backgrounds the opportunity to achieve their potential.
“This is the only way we can truly help the underprivileged, and when they also go on to become great persons in the future, they will not forget their background,” he said.
He also urged privileged individuals to support people in need, stressing that creating opportunities for disadvantaged children was a shared responsibility.
“This is also a message for those who are privileged in the society; there are many people out there who need help, and we should be able to look out for those people,” he said.
Akinoshun noted that non-governmental organisations could play an important role in national development by creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded because of their financial circumstances.
He said DAAF’s interventions were part of efforts to ensure that deserving children had access to opportunities that could improve their lives and contribute to Nigeria’s development.
Beyond its educational interventions, the foundation extended support to other vulnerable institutions during the 2026 Week.
At Sabol International School, a special-needs school in the Adeoyo area of Ring Road, Ibadan, the team presented a deep freezer requested by the institution.
The foundation also donated food items to Omolewa Motherless Home in Oritamefa, Ibadan, and Dorcas Adunola Oyediji Motherless Babies Home.
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