Outstanding students from selected tertiary institutions across the Southwest have received laptops under a digital empowerment initiative aimed at supporting academic development, innovation and technology skills.

The programme, known as the Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme, was held on September 30, 2026, at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS Southwest Zone D, has welcomed the initiative and praised the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement, Hon. Comr. Sunday Asefon, for bringing the programme to the region.

According to the association, beneficiaries were selected from participating institutions on the basis of outstanding performance and were presented with laptops to help strengthen their academic work and digital capacity.

For students, access to a personal computer can make a major difference in research, assignments, online learning, coding, digital design, entrepreneurship and other technology-driven opportunities.

NANS Southwest said this practical aspect of the programme was one of its strongest features.

The association also praised the emphasis on merit, saying it sends an important message to students that strong performance and consistent effort can create opportunities.

However, NANS Southwest acknowledged that the number of participating institutions and beneficiaries was limited.

Rather than treating that limitation as a reason for discouragement, the student body urged those who were not selected to continue working towards academic distinction and developing useful skills.

The association said students should also invest in leadership, innovation and personal growth rather than waiting for opportunities to come before taking their development seriously.

NANS Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode (BILLIONCODES), said the wider lesson from the programme should be that excellence must become a culture among students.

The association also noted Asefon’s history in the Nigerian student movement, saying his previous leadership experience gives him a longstanding connection with the student constituency.

NANS Southwest said initiatives focused on digital competence are increasingly relevant because students now operate in an environment where technology affects almost every part of education and employment.

The student body called for future editions of the programme to reach more campuses and more students across all six Southwest states.

It also appreciated the institutions, student leaders, facilitators and stakeholders involved in the event.

NANS Southwest concluded by encouraging students to keep learning, improving and preparing themselves for future opportunities, even where immediate access to empowerment programmes may be limited.