Sixteen UNILAG Students Receive PMAF Scholarship Awards

It was a windy yet beautiful day for sixteen (16) indigent students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as they received scholarship awards worth eight million, nine hundred and twenty-five thousand naira (N8, 925, 000) from the Professor Mike Adebamowo Foundation (PMAF).

The sixteen awardees are:

Speaking at the Scholarship Award Ceremony on Thursday, July 17, 2025, the Executive Director of PMAF, Prof. Mike Adebamowo revealed that the foundation was conceived as a form of “service to humanity through work of missions in a lifelong legacy to impact generations of people by supporting their education in spite of financial constraints”.

His words, “…I am simply giving back to the society the grace I enjoyed as a student and in memory of my late mum, Rachael Funmilayo Segun, for those mothers who are currently struggling to train their children.”

According to him, the objectives of PMAF include:

• Grant financial support to indigent students in any Nigerian University;
• Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the beneficiaries;
• Create a connect of the beneficiaries to a job-related ecosystem;
• Mentor and disciple beneficiaries to continue the cycle of support and impacting the society; and
• Establish initiatives that would cater for other forms of support to the less privileged.

The Chairman of PMAF Board of Trustees, Engr. Tokunbo Oshokoya who was represented by a member of the Board, Mr. ObabiOlorunkosi Gafaar, explained that the awardees were selected based on financial needs, academic merit (with flexibility for exceptional cases), spirit of resilience, commitment to excellence, and character.

A delighted Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, congratulated the foundation for its remarkable and humane feat. She urged the awardees and guests present at the ceremony to embrace the spirit of giving.

The Vice-Chancellor challenged everyone to follow the example set by PMAF, adopt students, and ease their burdens. Her words, “…We are the salt of the earth, and should make the earth sweeter for others.”

Recalling some of her conversations with her late father, Prof. Akin Mabogunje; the Vice-Chancellor stressed the need for people to “be a Pipe D – a channel through which blessings flow to others. Givers give even when they don’t have anything to give. They don’t need a reason to give, they just give.”

To the students, Prof. Ogunsola expressed hope that the scholarship award would propel them to greater heights. She advised the awardees to use the money wisely, work hard, make forge meaningful partnerships and never lose their humanity.

The ceremony which was held at the Senate Lounge, Senate House, UNILAG, also featured a goodwill message from the Dean, Students Affairs Division (DSA), Prof. Musa Obalola; a vote of thanks by Adewale Ademilola who spoke on behalf of awardees; and closing remarks by the Deputy Executive Director of PMAF and wife of the Director, Pastor Oyeyemi Adebamowo.

The Professor Mike Adebamowo Foundation (PMAF) was launched on May 8, 2024, during the 60th birthday celebration of Prof. Mike Adebamowo, a Professor of Architecture and current Director of UNILAG Business School (ULBS). With a Sixty Million Naira (N60, 000, 000.00) Endowment Fund, the Foundation is committed to long-term impact through educational empowerment. It aims to ensure that no indigent student drops out of school as a result of financial constraints. The fund is open to applications from indigent students across Nigerian universities.