Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved the construction of 12 blocks of 900 smart classrooms in four schools across each zone in the state.
The selected schools are Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta; Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; Remo Secondary School, Sagamu; and Yewa College, Ilaro.
Additionally, the governor declared Monday, October 6, 2024, a work-free day for teachers in honor of their contributions.
During this year’s Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Abiodun also confirmed the absorption of 1,000 OgunTeach scheme interns into the State Teaching Service Commission, increasing the total number to 5,000 since his administration began.
The governor further announced approval for the renovation of all special schools, along with an increment in feeding allowances for pupils in these schools, aiming to foster inclusion.
Acknowledging teachers’ roles in shaping future generations, Abiodun agreed to pay transport allowances to all public school teachers, replacing the work-free days that other state workers currently enjoy.
Highlighting his administration’s efforts to revamp the education sector, the governor cited the Ogun Digitalized Multimedia Lesson Plan and the construction of a Central Education Management Information System (EMIS) for data collection and analysis among other initiatives.
Other achievements include the approval of the Ogun State Education Intervention Fund, the successful conduct of the BECE with the introduction of OMR (Optical Mark Reader) sheets, and installing ICT facilities in preparation for Nigeria’s Learning Passport for e-contents.
Commenting on why his administration hadn’t accessed the 2020 UBEC funds, Abiodun explained that upon taking office, the state had unpaid funds from 2014-2017. His government addressed this by paying counterpart funding for those years, and the current work plan implements 2018-2019 projects. However, many contracts were abandoned due to inflation and inadequate pricing.
He also noted that despite the accessed funding, many schools still faced severe issues, such as students sitting on 9-inch blocks or learning in roofless classrooms. A task force was established to identify the most dilapidated schools, and now a new UBEC work plan tailored to Ogun’s needs has been approved, allowing for the completion of abandoned projects.
In his opening remarks, Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, commended teachers for their dedication and praised the government’s efforts to reform education in the state.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Comrade Felix Agbesanwa, lauded the administration for teacher recruitment and welfare improvements, while Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Chairman, Comrade Sewakanu Oladipupo, thanked the government for prioritizing education and teacher welfare.
The celebration featured awards for outstanding teachers, schools, and administrators from the previous academic year.
