The Ogun State House of Assembly has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the state’s reputation as the education capital of Nigeria.
Speaker Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide made this promise during an advocacy visit by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) led by Chief of Lagos Field Officer, Celine Lafoucriere, at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan.
“To retain our pride of place in education, we must address the issue of school drop-outs”.
“As lawmakers, we are committed to supporting the state government’s efforts through intervention projects, such as donating educational facilities, organizing summer classes, and facilitating donations to schools from philanthropists”, Elemide said
Other lawmakers, including Honourables Adebisi Oyedele, Babatunde Tella, and Lukman Adeleye, assured UNICEF of their sustained collaboration with government and non-governmental organizations to enhance access to education.
They attributed the high statistics of dropout and out-of-school pupils in the country to the rising spate of insecurity and eroded cultural values occasioned by the influx of people from neighboring countries.
Celine Lafoucriere attributed the high statistics of out-of-school children and drop-outs to various factors, including inadequate evidence-based policies, limited budget allocation, shortage of teachers and classrooms, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health and safety concerns, and child labor.
She reaffirmed UNICEF’s readiness to develop models for reducing the number of out-of-school children and increasing retention, transition, and completion of adolescents from primary to secondary school levels.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, sought strategies to increase enrollment and boost school children’s interest, while working assiduously with all stakeholders in the Legislative arm to ensure seamless access to quality education.
She emphasized the need for parents to have a firm belief in the educational system.
The lawmakers and UNICEF officials agreed on the need for collective efforts to address the challenges facing the education sector, ensuring that Ogun State maintains its pride of place as the education capital of Nigeria.
