By Omoruyi Patricia Osayomore
Governor Obaseki of Edo State has called on parents and other stakeholders in the education sector to contribute towards sustaining the State’s education reforms during and after his administration. The Governor made the call while declaring open the maiden edition of the State Education Week held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Sir Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin City.
Governor Obaseki expressed his excitement at the pupils’ academic progress, which, according to him, his administration has committed huge investment in since 2018. He asserted that the Edo pupils are very fortunate to experience the sterling leadership of the current Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Oviawe. He added that the legacy he wants to be remembered for is the overall education transformation and sustainability in the state.
The Edo Education Week was put together to showcase the transformation in public education under the leadership of Dr Joan Oviawe, which has created opportunities for young people to acquire quality and functional education in consonance with the theme for the event – Education for Alaghodaro: Investing in Quality Education and Access for our Children and Youth; meaning progress and prosperity.
The Governor acknowledged the World Bank’s contributions in sustaining the progress of education in the state and encouraged parents to sustain and improve their participation in their children’s educational advancement, including their roles in the EdoBEST at Home Lessons and the School O’ Clock Campaign.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Osa Oviawe, in her welcome address, ascribed all the success stories of the State Education to the visionary leadership of the Governor. She expressed optimism that the event would afford the pupils the opportunity to appreciate and explore their talents, which would ordinarily have been undiscovered. Dr Oviawe said the activities lined up for the events are beyond numeracy and literacy exercises. She emphasized that the creative arts are also included to make the average Edo pupil able to compete favourably with those in the most developed societies.
The keynote speaker, Lebon Marshall, posited that African children are the future of not just Africa but the entire world because the major population of other continents are growing old, but Africa has young people as most of its population. She argued that as a result of their importance, the world is contesting for space in the brains of young people because they have the potential to change the world.
Marshall admonished the young people to order their priorities beginning with the information they choose to access that shape their influences. She tasked young people to watch out for who is true or not, those manipulating others and counselled that any influence or authority that would deny them such rights to the right information must be resisted.
The event featured the launch of a workshop to repair tablets for pupils at the Benin Technical College, debate competitions by pupils of selected Basic and Secondary schools in the State, dance performances, discussions, and the launch/distribution of 1.5 million books to schools for pupils in Edo State. It had in attendance members of the State Executive Council, World Bank representatives, principals from the State Education Ecosystem, parents, and stakeholders both from Nigeria and across national borders.
Governor Obaseki, while assuring his administration’s continued commitment to quality and functional education, promised that by September 2023, every pupil in Edo State would possess a tablet as a tool to fully drive digital learning in the State. The Governor’s call for stakeholders’ contributions towards education reform sustainability comes as a commendable step in securing the future of the state and the young population’s education.
