Government Alone Cannot Fund Education" — Senator Bode Olajumoke

 Former Senator Dr. Bode Olajumoke has insisted that government alone cannot fund education in Nigeria, calling on private individuals and philanthropists to step in. He maintained that education remains the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and the greatest opportunity for children living in indigence.

Olajumoke made this known during the launch of the Bode Olajumoke Education and Hospitality Initiative (BOEHI), aimed at creating educational opportunities for vulnerable children and supporting deserving adults in achieving their educational goals.

"Many talented children lack access to quality education due to financial constraints. This foundation is our contribution to bridging that gap by providing resources and support. In many impoverished communities, brilliant but indigent children don't have the opportunities to experience education in its true form."

About BOEHI

Board Chairman Mr. Ade Ayeni described the initiative as designed for indigent but brilliant students across the country, including Abuja. He said the foundation would mobilize resources to establish educational opportunities for vulnerable children, support community initiatives, and assist deserving adults through scholarships, grants, and bursaries.

"This foundation has been set up in honour of Dr. Bode Olajumoke because of his philanthropic spirit, which has generated so much positive energy all over the country. We believe we should have a legacy after him — a situation where even after him, his name will be permanently remembered."

Ayeni added that the foundation intends to create impact through school debates, lectures, symposia, drama, quiz competitions, and an annual Bode Olajumoke Essay Competition among secondary school students.

Voices of Support

Founder of Achievers University Owo, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, hailed the initiative, saying Senator Olajumoke had never ceased to express his strong belief in the transformative power of education. He noted that the foundation was being established now so it would be strong and well-rooted — a living legacy that would continue to help the vulnerable, the disabled, and others long into the future.

The first edition of the initiative took place on July 1, 2025, marking Dr. Olajumoke's 81st birthday, backed with grants and bursaries to deserving students.

Aiyedatiwa and Mimiko Honor Senator Bode Olajumoke at 81

 The location was the International Center for Events and Culture (The Dome) in Akure, the Ondo State capital. It was a gathering of eminent personalities from various sectors as well as traditional authorities.

The event was a public lecture to mark the 81st birthday of renowned philanthropist, politician and national leader, Senator Bode Olajumoke. It also featured the inauguration of the Bode Olajumoke Education and Hospitality Initiative (BOEHI), a vehicle deployed by friends and associates of the senator to touch many lives in the society.

The guest speaker, former Ondo State governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, eulogized Senator Olajumoke for his exemplary leadership qualities, his love for the masses and for putting his hometown, Imeri, on the national map.

In his lecture, Dr. Mimiko did a historical analysis of brain drain from a global perspective to the national outlook. He said Africa must come to the realization that it has moved from being "involuntarily conquered to being voluntarily conquered," and that the way out is for leaders to "create circumstances and environment that will ensure that our brains are available for our services and development."

He commended President Bola Tinubu for his renewed interest in state policing and applauded Nigeria's National Policy on Health Workforce Migration (2023), which he said must be translated into fruition through political will, adequate funding and policy consistency in the health sector.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Deputy Dr. Olayide Adelami, described Senator Olajumoke as an accomplished technocrat, politician of repute and philanthropist of no measure, whose benevolence transcends ethnicity and religion.

Former Managing Director of OSRC, Mr. Ade Ayeni, expressed happiness at the level of love shown the octogenarian, assuring that structures and processes have been put in place to make BOEHI a great success. He noted the initiative is designed to target the less privileged and vulnerable.

Other eminent personalities at the event included the Olubaka of Oka, Oba Adebori Adeleye, Pro-chancellor of Achievers University Owo Prof. Bode Ayorinde, former Chief of Staff to late Governor Akeredolu Chief Olugbenga Ale, and former Chief Judge of Ondo State Hon. Justice Sehinde Kumuyi, among others.

Appreciating the outpouring of love, Senator Olajumoke, accompanied by his wife Princess Remi Olajumoke, expressed gratitude to Governor Aiyedatiwa and the team behind BOEHI for their tireless efforts.

Strengthening Ties: BOEHI and NSCC Visit OSRC Media Group

 Mr. Ade Ayeni, Chairman of the Bode Olajumoke Education and Hospitality Initiative (BOEHI) and Co-Chair of the NSCC Ondo Stakeholders' Consultative Forum on Ageing, delivered a speech on the occasion of a courtesy call on the newly appointed Director General/CEO of the OSRC Media Group in Akure.

The delegation congratulated the Director General on his appointment on behalf of Senator Bode Olajumoke (PhD), Chief Patron of the NSCC Ondo Steering Committee, Special Adviser Bar. Benjamin Jaiyeola (also Hon. Clerk of the Ondo State House of Assembly), and the full Steering Committee. Special partners Samanthsappy Home Care, led by Mrs. Folasade Sanyaolu, and the Elder Persons' Association of Nigeria (EPAN) were also represented at the visit.

About BOEHI

BOEHI was born out of the collective resolve of friends and associates of Senator Olajumoke to support and formalize his long-standing personal efforts — including scholarships to students across Nigerian institutions and abroad, with a particular focus on Persons Living with Disabilities. The initiative is dedicated to promoting access to education for underprivileged and deserving students, and intends to support research and curriculum development in the long run.

As one of its first activities, BOEHI organized the 1st Bode Olajumoke Public Lecture on July 1, 2025 — Senator Olajumoke's 81st birthday — at The Dome, Akure, featuring former Governor Dr. Rahman Mimiko as guest speaker on the topic: Conqueror, Conquered and Consequences — A Discourse on Brain Drain.

The delegation requested full media coverage of the event and a half-hour post-event rebroadcast across all OSRC stations.

About the NSCC Ondo Steering Committee

The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) is a Federal Agency established under the NSCC Act 2017 to identify and cater to the needs of older persons in Nigeria. Steering Committees were inaugurated across all 36 states and the FCT in 2022 to build stakeholder partnerships with state and local governments.

The Ondo Steering Committee has enjoyed support from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the Ministries of Justice and Health, and notably from OSRC itself since 2022. The committee was also among 13 states that won a grant to organize the Promotion of Healthy Living and Walk For Life program in April 2025.

With the appointment of Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe — an Ondo indigene — as the new NSCC Director General in Abuja, the committee sees a renewed opportunity to accelerate its work in the state.

Outstanding Objectives

Key goals yet to be achieved include the domestication of the NSCC Act 2017 by the Ondo State Government through the State House of Assembly — no South West state has done this yet — as well as the establishment of a Multipurpose Senior Citizens Centre in the state and at least three large cooperative societies, one per senatorial district.

The delegation called on the OSRC Director General to partner with the committee in designing dedicated programmes for the elderly across all stations, to be sponsored by eminent personalities in the state.