The Federation of Oyo State Students’ Unions (FOSSU) has declared support for the presidential ambition of Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, ahead of the 2027 general election, while commending his administration for expanding bursary support for final-year students.
The National President of FOSSU, Aare Ahmed Mufutau, made the declaration on Wednesday at a press briefing held at the Conference Centre, Ministry of Education, Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Mufutau described Makinde’s administration as a model worthy of consideration at the national level, citing the government’s investment in education and student welfare.
He particularly praised the opening of the 2026 General Bursary Awards for final-year students of Oyo State origin in public higher institutions across the country.
According to him, education remains a major driver of national development, while student welfare should remain a priority for governments.
Mufutau also commended the inclusion of final-year students in Colleges of Education in the bursary scheme, noting that students in their final year often face financial pressures arising from research, academic projects, clearance and other graduation-related expenses.
Under the scheme, final-year Clinical, Aeronautics and Aviation students will receive N500,000 each, while university undergraduates will receive N200,000. Higher National Diploma (HND) students will receive N150,000, while final-year National Certificate in Education (NCE) students will get N100,000 each.
He disclosed that about 5,000 final-year students are expected to benefit from the 2026 intervention, compared with 2,600 beneficiaries recorded last year.
Mufutau added that N500,000 bursary payments had also been consistently made to Oyo State indigenes in the Law School for six consecutive years.
He appreciated Governor Makinde for approving the expansion of the bursary scheme and commended the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, Hon. Victor Olojede, for his continued engagement with students.
He urged eligible students to prepare their documents and register promptly when the bursary portal opens on Monday, October 12, 2026, adding that registration would close on November 1, 2026.
The FOSSU president warned students against patronising unofficial registration links or relying on unverified information, advising them to obtain updates through official channels.
Declaring the union’s support for Makinde’s presidential ambition, Mufutau said, “Someone who has done so much as Governor will definitely do better as President.”
He said FOSSU would mobilise support for Makinde ahead of the 2027 election, adding that the declaration was made on behalf of Oyo State indigenous students and other indigenous bodies in the state.
Corroborating the union’s position, Olojede said Makinde’s governance model in Oyo State could be replicated at the national level.
He cited the abolition of the N3,000 public secondary school fee, recruitment of teachers, distribution of learning materials and efforts to return out-of-school children to classrooms as some of the administration’s achievements in the education sector.
“No student would have a reason not to be in school. This government loves Nigerian students at all levels, and your support for Engineer Seyi Makinde will not be swept under the carpet.
“We believe strongly that if Governor Makinde becomes President, we are going to reset Nigeria. This government has proved that we can support students,” Olojede said.
