How Kamorudeen Yusuf and Dr Sulaimon Are Building a New Culture of Student Support in Ogun By Temitope Afolabi(BIG AFO)

By Our Reporter

For many young Nigerians, education is not simply a pathway to a better future; it is a daily struggle against the rising cost of tuition, learning materials, accommodation, technology and other basic necessities.

In Ogun State, however, a growing network of interventions has sought to ease some of those pressures, particularly for students and young people from less privileged backgrounds.

At the centre of that effort is Alhaji Kamorudeen Yusuf, Personal Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Special Duties, whose education-focused interventions have increasingly attracted attention across the state and beyond.

Working alongside friends, associates and grassroots organisers, including Dr Sulaimon, the Head of the Ogun City Boy structure, Yusuf’s interventions have increasingly placed education, youth development and opportunity at the centre of community engagement.

The partnership reflects a broader philosophy: that political and community leadership should not be measured only by public statements or positions, but also by its impact on the lives of young people.

Investing in academic excellence

One of the clearest examples of Yusuf’s student-focused intervention came in 2025, when he offered a scholarship to Sodiq Shoyode, an Ogun State indigene who scored 360 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Yusuf did not stop at offering university sponsorship. He also pledged to provide Sodiq with a laptop and support his training in software development before his university education.

The intervention later translated into a full scholarship for Sodiq to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ibadan, alongside support for a six-month ICT programme, accommodation and other educational needs.

For a young student from Ado-Odo/Ota, the support represented more than financial assistance. It created room for him to concentrate on his education and develop additional digital skills before beginning university.

Another Ogun student, Adetutu Osoba, who scored 309 in the 2025 UTME, also received Yusuf’s support. He pledged to sponsor her university education and paid her hostel and tuition fees at a fashion academy while she awaited admission.

These interventions suggest an approach that rewards academic performance while also recognising the financial obstacles that can prevent talented young people from reaching their potential.

Support beyond individual scholarships

Yusuf’s education intervention has also extended beyond individual beneficiaries.

In January 2025, he awarded scholarships to 40 students of Markaz University College, Agege, covering diploma and undergraduate programmes. He also provided books and Qur’anic materials and pledged further support for the institution’s publishing activities.

The intervention was particularly significant because Markaz was where Yusuf himself had grown up.

His message was therefore not simply about giving; it was also about returning to a community that contributed to his own development and helping another generation access opportunities.

Dr Sulaimon and the grassroots connection

Within this emerging network of youth and grassroots engagement is Dr Sulaimon, who heads the Ogun City Boy structure and is described as a close friend and associate of Kamorudeen Yusuf.

His role provides another layer to the relationship between community leadership and young people.

As a grassroots figure, Dr Sulaimon has been involved in mobilising young people and maintaining engagement with communities. His association with Yusuf has also positioned him within a network that places youth development, empowerment and community participation among its recurring priorities.

The significance of such relationships lies in the ability to connect high-level access with grassroots realities.

For students, what matters ultimately is not who occupies a political position, but whether that position can translate into scholarships, educational materials, skills, mentorship and opportunities.

A wider youth-development agenda

The student-focused interventions are part of a broader youth-development effort associated with Yusuf.

In 2025, a skills-acquisition programme supported by Yusuf and organised through the Alliance for Kamosky was launched across Ogun State. The initiative targeted young people in the state’s 20 local government areas and focused on practical vocational skills.

Other reported interventions have included educational materials, scholarships, humanitarian support and youth empowerment programmes. Vanguard reported in February 2026 that Yusuf’s support initiatives had expanded to include school materials, scholarships for high-performing UTME candidates, bursaries and vocational training.

The common thread is straightforward: giving young people tools that can improve their chances of becoming economically and professionally independent.

More than politics

For Kamorudeen Yusuf and associates such as Dr Sulaimon, the student community offers an important constituency beyond conventional political mobilisation.

Young people need opportunities that extend beyond campaign seasons.

A scholarship can keep a student in school. A laptop can provide access to the digital economy. Vocational training can become a source of income. Educational materials can reduce the financial pressure on families.

Those interventions may appear small when viewed individually, but their significance becomes clearer when they are repeated across communities.

The growing relationship between Yusuf and Dr Sulaimon therefore represents a model of grassroots engagement built around access, friendship and community networks, with education and youth empowerment increasingly becoming important areas of focus.

At a time when many young Nigerians are looking for practical support to navigate the cost of education and the transition into employment, initiatives that place students at the centre of community development are likely to remain important.

For the beneficiaries, the real measure is ultimately simple: whether the support helps them stay in school, acquire skills, pursue their ambitions and build a more secure future.

And for Kamorudeen Yusuf, Dr Sulaimon and the network around them, that appears to be where the student-focused conversation is increasingly heading — from promises and politics to tangible opportunities for young people.