First Lady Keeps Word, Funds Ogun Prodigy’s Education to University

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has delivered on her ₦10 million education pledge to 12-year-old Ogun State artist Morenikeji Ebunoluwa Joshua, turning a spontaneous gesture of admiration into concrete support that will carry the boy through tertiary education.
The Education Development Trust Fund was formally handed over last Friday through the Ogun State Government. An account has been opened specifically for the money so that it remains ring-fenced for Joshua’s schooling needs.

The promise was made on August 18 at the launch of the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank Programme at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. Joshua had positioned himself among the crowd with a portrait he painted of the First Lady. Impressed by the quality of the work, Senator Tinubu invited the boy to the podium and immediately announced the ₦10 million commitment to his future education.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, who received the cheque on the First Lady’s behalf from Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, Senior Special Assistant on Strategy in the Office of the First Lady, described the swift fulfilment as proof that “a promise made is a promise kept.” He said the gesture was more than a financial gift; it was an investment in a young Nigerian whose talent had been spotted and deliberately nurtured.
The governor revealed that this was not Joshua’s first encounter with official support.

About three years earlier, Abiodun noticed one of the boy’s paintings during an exhibition at his office. Learning that Joshua was still in primary school, the governor awarded him a scholarship covering primary and secondary education. With Senator Tinubu’s intervention, that support has now been extended through university level.

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Abiodun praised the young artist’s determination to be seen and heard. “If you are not out there promoting yourself, nobody is likely to promote you,” he told the gathering, urging other children to identify, develop and showcase their God-given gifts. He also congratulated Joshua’s parents, Mr Bosun Morenikeji and Mrs Taiwo Morenikeji, and encouraged them to keep supporting their son while the boy remains focused on refining his craft.

Hon. Alawiye-King used the occasion to stress that education must recognise talent beyond pure academics. She noted that true learning covers cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains — intellectual growth, values and emotions, and practical skills alike. Ogun’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, added that the gesture formed part of wider efforts to assist promising young people. He disclosed that 21 tertiary students — 14 from Tai Solarin University of Education, six from Babcock University and one from Mountain Top University — had also received financial awards at the same event.

Joshua’s story stretches further back. Self-taught from the age of four, he has already drawn hundreds of portraits of prominent figures, including President Bola Tinubu, Governor Abiodun, Aliko Dangote, the Ooni of Ife and international personalities. He once stated his ambition to complete 1,000 such portraits of “high-impact” people. Earlier recognition includes awards as Most Confident Kid Visual Artist and Young Visual Artist of the Year, as well as a Global Child Prodigy Award in the art category. Traditional rulers and officials, including the Oluwo of Iwo and the Olowu of Owu, have previously encouraged him and, in some cases, offered scholarships.

After receiving the support, Joshua thanked Senator Tinubu for seeing and investing in his talent. He urged other children to discover their passions, pursue them diligently and keep improving.

For a 12-year-old who simply brought a painting to a public event, the outcome is transformative: a secured educational pathway from secondary school through university, and national affirmation that talent, when recognised and backed, can open lasting doors.