The Ekiti State Government has taken a decisive step to ease financial constraints facing students by sponsoring the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration fees for 3,400 candidates ahead of the 2026 examination cycle. The gesture was formally announced at a launch event held in Ado Ekiti, where the state's First Lady, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, urged beneficiaries to repay the government's investment through diligence and academic excellence.
Dr Oyebanji, speaking on behalf of the administration, made clear that the support extended to these students carries weight beyond mere financial relief. Recipients, she noted, bear a responsibility to honour their families, contribute to the state's advancement, and serve as inspiration to younger generations with aspirations of their own.
The First Lady revealed that the annual procurement and distribution of 3,000 JAMB forms has become a consistent feature of Governor Biodun Oyebanji's administration, functioning as a deliberate mechanism for democratising access to higher education and advancing the government's human capital development agenda. For 2026, the beneficiary figure has risen to 3,400 students.
Quoting directly from her address, Dr Oyebanji stated that "under the purposeful and visionary leadership of Governor Oyebanji, the government has continued to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to human capital development, with education occupying a central place in its development agenda. This administration has consistently pursued policies and programmes that remove barriers to learning and ensure every child has the opportunity to optimise his or her potential."
She further described the distribution of complimentary JAMB codes as a deliberate effort to open doors of opportunity and reaffirm the belief that every hardworking and talented Ekiti child deserves a fair chance to pursue higher education.
Several senior officials lent their voices to the occasion, including the Chairperson of the Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education, Chief Moji Fafure, who described the initiative as compelling evidence of the government's sensitivity to citizens' educational ambitions. The Special Adviser on Tertiary Education, Professor Akeem Azeez, the Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, the Commissioner for Information, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, and the Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, all commended the administration for its sustained support of economically disadvantaged students across the state.
