Two secondary school students have received scholarships for practical training in photography and graphic design as part of efforts by the organisers of the 2026 Ibadan Media Conference (IMC26) to empower young people with creative skills.
The scholarships were awarded on Saturday, at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Trinity Assembly, Adeoyo, Ring Road, Ibadan.
The beneficiaries are Adetumobi Iren, an SS3 student of The Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Ososami road, Ibadan, who received a scholarship for photography training, and Folorunsho Rachel, an SS2 student of Sacred Heart Secondary School, Liberty road, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, who also received a scholarship for graphic design training.
The convener of the programme, Temidayo Adesuyi, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the conference went beyond discussions and inspiration by creating practical opportunities for young people.
He said many young people were interested in acquiring creative skills, but often lacked access to the necessary training and resources.
‘Rather than just telling young people to learn a skill, we wanted to take a step towards actually helping some of them get started,’ he said.
The scholarships will support the students’ training in their respective fields, while the organisers are expected to engage their schools to determine the appropriate structure for the training and support.
Adesuyi said the initiative would help the beneficiaries acquire skills, build confidence, develop portfolios and explore opportunities that could enable them to earn an income in the future.
He described the scholarships as a starting point and expressed hope that the initiative will expand in subsequent editions of the conference.