Funke Olaode
There’s a type of management that starts lengthy prior to someone asks for it. It starts at a table in a public secondary faculty in Sepeteri the place a kid with the marks however with out the method makes a decision to stay going. On Friday, October 16, 2026, that more or less management took the centre level at Sepeteri The town Corridor in Saki East Native Govt Space of Oyo State as TOMEB Basis held the fifteenth version of its Scholarship Award and Lecture.
As a part of the development, themed “Schooling for Have an effect on: Development Day after today’s Leaders,” noticed 8 students honoured because the theme used to be mirrored on the instance, reasonably than as a slogan hung above the level. The have an effect on of schooling as a poignant software for the following day’s leaders used to be felt throughout as the students have been known as ahead to obtain their awards. This is a labour of affection that TOMEB Basis has sustained in the neighborhood, with the scheme relationship the entire as far back as 2012.
The instance used to be chaired by way of Dr ‘Bade Adeshina, Chairman of Well being Assur Ltd as two Visitor Audio system delivered lectures: Professor Y. Okay. Yusuf of the Division of English, Obafemi Awolowo College, Ile-Ife and Alhaji Bashir Tayo Lawal, FCTI, CNA, a Deputy Director/Tax Controller on the Nigeria Income Provider (NRS).
Established to advertise problems, actions and programmes that may energise folks and communities to be economically self-sustaining and environmentally pleasant, TOMEB Basis strives to help the formative years to grasp and utilise their possible, be exemplary of their habits and develop into trade brokers within the society. To reach this, the root employs schooling and endeavor building to assist younger other folks conquer obstacles and reach significant social and private financial targets.
TOMEB Basis started with a conviction formed by way of the stories of its founders, Dr Ahmed ‘Tunde Popoola and his spouse, Mrs Mariam Mojisola Popoola. Acquainted with how a lot promise is misplaced when a brilliant kid attends a public faculty wanting certified lecturers and starved of textbooks and laboratories, they set out with a scholarship scheme for good scholars from indigent properties. Starting from the 2012/2013 educational consultation, it used to be centered on the maximum subtle level in their education: the 3 years of senior secondary faculty.
The scholarship meets the price of uniforms, core textbooks and legitimate charges for all 3 years supplied the varsity fundamental experiences ample efficiency and habits throughout the period. Consistent with the founders, the phrases have been strict: a student should be the most effective scholars in JSS 3, should be indigent and should be of sound personality and choice is by way of written take a look at and oral interview prior to a committee.
This implies the overall selection is made anchored on no issue instead of benefit. Regardless of the founders insisting at the addition of no less than two women yearly as a part of inclusion, they’ve nto needed to put into effect the rule of thumb as a result of women saved qualifying on their very own benefit.
At this 12 months’s awards rite, the co-founder of the root, an achieved Nigerian Banker, Accountant, Economist, Entreprenuer, Trade Government who sits on the helms of CRC Credit score Bureau as its Managing Director/Leader Government Officer, Dr Ahmed Babatunde Popoola popularly referred to as ‘Dr. Tunde Popoola in his opening remarks extolled the virtues of the indigent’s student’s resilience. “It’s our excitement to welcome you all to the fifteenth Scholarship Award and Lecture of TOMEB Basis. To our chairman for nowadays, Dr Bade Adeshina; our visitor academics, Professor Y. Okay. Yusuf and Alhaji Bashir Tayo Lawal; our students and their folks; our companions, pals and well-wishers of the Basis; and everybody amassed right here on the The town Corridor, Sepeteri, thanks for taking the time to sign up for us nowadays.
To Dr. Popoola who himself have got schooling from the most efficient international establishments, impacting lives is the most efficient one can provide to humanity specifically the fewer privileged as a result of schooling is the one liberator from the shackles of poverty. Once more, this is how the chain of poverty is damaged via schooling and a dignifying process.
Talking…“Fifteen years in the past, my spouse and I started with a easy trust that the place a kid is born will have to by no means prohibit how a ways they are able to dream. And so, in existence we had witnessed, each in our personal trips and within the communities round us, how a lot ability is going disregarded just because a talented kid took place to reach within the incorrect position on the incorrect time, with out get admission to to books, and not using a mentor, with out someone to offer them the quiet assurance that they mattered. TOMEB Basis grew out of that conviction. What began as a small effort to make stronger 5 scholars throughout 3 faculties right here in Sepeteri has, over fifteen years, develop into a rising circle of relatives of greater than 106 students, a lot of whom have since long gone directly to develop into graduates, running execs, and mentors themselves to the following era arising in the back of them.
Dr. Popoola additional expressed pleasure at seeing the evolution that has develop into the lot of students over the years. “After we glance again throughout those fifteen years, the numbers by myself inform a tale value pausing on. Now we have walked with students via each and every educational consultation since 2012, observed categories as small as 5 develop into cohorts of twelve, and watched younger girls and boys transfer from the lecture rooms of Group Prime Faculty, Muslim Grammar Faculty, and Obalufon Grammar Faculty into universities, polytechnics, and schools of well being era and schools of schooling throughout this nation. We’re proud to mention that over 80 % of our students have long gone on to achieve admission into upper establishments, a determine that sits on the very middle of what this scheme set out to reach. Now we have observed them go back, every now and then of their commencement robes, every now and then merely with a telephone name to mention thanks, and the ones moments had been the truest measure of what this Basis got down to do. However past the certificate and the admission letters lies one thing tougher to place a determine on, the arrogance we’ve watched take root in a kid who as soon as doubted whether or not this kind of long term used to be even to be had to any person like them.”
“No person builds a pacesetter by myself. This scheme has lasted fifteen years as a result of lecturers, folks, panelists and well-wishers saved believing in those youngsters. We’re thankful to each and every certainly one of them. TOMEB Basis will stay opening doorways however it’s what you do whenever you stroll via them that may outline you.” Dr Popoola, added.
Via the 2021/2022 consultation the Basis had supported 60 students throughout Group Prime Faculty, Muslim Grammar Faculty and Obalufon Grammar Faculty in Sepeteri, 32 of that have been women. To measure the luck of the scheme, most of the beneficiaries have long gone on upper establishments, with 17 upper establishments throughout Nigeria, together with the Federal College of Generation, Minna; College of Abuja; Usman Danfodiyo College, Sokoto and Ladoke Akintola College of Generation, Ogbomosho.
As of late, the target of the scheme is being accomplished and have an effect on felt throughout other touchpoints. With the exception of over 80 % of TOMEB students having received admission into upper establishments, the mentoring and training via capacity-building workshops and one-on-one trade clinics with skilled practitioners are bearing culmination in a couple of proportions. Between 2012 and 2015, the root has represented Nigeria within the International Entrepreneurship Observe and produced the rustic’s experiences for 2013 to 2015. In 2015, TOMEB Basis joined ExxonMobil and Shell to host an empowerment day for final-year scholars of the School of Medication, College of Lagos.
No one builds leaders by myself. In the back of each and every cohort stands an organization of volunteers: panelists who’ve incorporated a retired everlasting secretary and retired principals; coordinators who’ve organised the written checks and interviews and run the programme at the flooring in Sepeteri; sponsors who’ve taken on applicants and useful resource individuals who’ve given their time to the students. The Basis’s personal document of thank you in its tenth version booklet ran to eighteen names.
Even though the awards are given in one day, the have an effect on runs via years and many years as leaders are constructed throughout years by way of lecturers who nominate their best possible pupils, interviewers who pass judgement on them relatively and fogeys who offer protection to their youngsters’s learn about time additionally play their section.
The platform for the day used to be selected with the theme in thoughts. Dr Adeshina introduced greater than 3 many years of enjoy in Nigerian finance spanning industrial and funding banking and pension control whilst Professor Yusuf has lengthy been a mentor to the Basis’s founders whilst Alhaji Lawal represents the general public carrier that assists in keeping a country’s establishments funded and functioning. This represents finance, scholarship and public carrier: 3 core spaces of country constructing.
8 scholars from Group Prime Faculty, Muslim Grammar Faculty and Obalufon Grammar Faculty, Sepeteri, gained scholarships for the 2026/2027 educational consultation, made up of 5 women and 3 boys. They’re Oyesola Deborah and Oyesola Dorcas, each from Group Prime Faculty and Adeleke Aishat, Muftau Aishat, Olayinka Sodiq, Usman Aishat, Sefiu Abdurahman and Muideen Jamiu, all from Muslim Grammar Faculty.
In party of fifteenth version of TOMEB Basis’s scholarship awards, probably the most previous students have shared how the scholarship has formed their tutorial adventure, private expansion, and long term aspirations. In his testimony, Abdulazeez Aminu, the primary undergraduate scholarship awardee, of Federal College of Generation, Minna, mentioned being the primary undergraduate scholarship recipient of TOMEB Basis is among the greatest milestones in his existence up to now.
“At a time when the Basis used to be recognized principally for supporting scholars on the secondary-school point, having the chance to proceed my schooling on the Federal College of Generation, Minna, with TOMEB’s make stronger used to be each a super privilege and a duty. The scholarship intended a lot more to me than monetary make stronger. It relieved an important a part of the monetary power that got here with my college schooling and allowed me to focal point extra absolutely on my research. Greater than that, it gave me self assurance and motivated me to develop into extra accountable about my schooling and my long term. Figuring out that any person believed in me sufficient to put money into my schooling made me need to paintings tougher and make the chance rely,” he mentioned whilst expressing gratitude to Dr. Popoola and Mrs. Popoola.
Additionally, Daniel Temiloluwa Oyesola, the 2020/2021 Beneficiary, mentioned: “Being a beneficiary of the TOMEB Basis scholarship has been a significant a part of my educational adventure. The make stronger I gained went past monetary help, it gave me the chance to focal point extra on my schooling and pursue my educational targets with self assurance.
The scholarship additionally modified my mentality. It taught me to worth alternatives, stay dedicated to my targets, and needless to say my background or demanding situations will have to no longer decide how a ways I will be able to move. It motivated me to paintings tougher, imagine extra in myself, and try for excellence.
As of late, as a 400-level pupil of Diet and Dietetics at Ladoke Akintola College of Generation (LAUTECH), I will be able to glance again and recognize how a lot the make stronger has contributed to my adventure. I’m deeply thankful to TOMEB Basis for believing in younger other folks like me and making an investment in our long term. I am hoping that sooner or later, I will be able to even be ready to offer again and definitely have an effect on any person else’s existence, simply as TOMEB Basis has impacted mine.”
For Edwin Goodluck Emmanuel, the 2025/2026 Beneficiary, the testimony is much more effusive. “I’m deeply thankful to the TOMEB Basis for the sure have an effect on they’ve had on my existence. Being probably the most beneficiaries has been a super privilege and has given me make stronger and alternatives that I actually recognize.
Your kindness, generosity, and dedication to empowering younger other folks have made a significant distinction in my adventure. I sincerely recognize the entire efforts and sacrifices you set into converting lives and giving other folks like me hope for a greater long term. Thanks, TOMEB Basis, for believing in me and making an investment in my long term. Might God proceed to bless the root and everybody in the back of it,” he mentioned.
The Basis has lengthy was hoping to hold the scheme past the 3 Sepeteri faculties to different faculties in Oyo State and in time to different states up to assets permit. In fifteen years of TOMEB Basis, the most important lesson signifies that management isn’t conferred on the finish of an schooling; it’s constructed into it 12 months after 12 months, one student at a time.
