The Minister of State for Education Goodluck Nana Opia has called on South West Governors to emulate and sustain the legacies of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the field of education to rid the region of out-of-school children menace and bring development to the country.
The Minister appealed on Thursday in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, at the flag-off ceremony of the National Campaign on out-of-school children (for the Southwest)
Nana Opia called on the South West Governors to prioritise education through increased budgetary allocations, infrastructural development and sustained public re-orientation, he added that these are the ways of tackling the menace of out-of-school children.
The Minister emphasised the need for political will and total commitment, calling for all hands to be on deck in the fight to enroll every child in school.
“Bring all our children on Board the ship of school,” the Minister said.
Opia pointed out that system strengthening and increased enrollment are the key goals of the OSC campaign adding that the involvement of traditional, religious and community leaders is key to the attainment of the overall goal of eradicating school children menace in Nigeria.
In his keynote address, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun said the South West made a head start in education in Nigeria following the efforts of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He added that the Awolowo legacy will not be allowed to perish, rather it will be sustained to restore glory to Ogun state and the nation at large.
Governor Abiodun rolled out the fruits of the Awolowo legacy in education across the Southwest adding that to date, Ogun state is ahead of other states of the country in terms of the number of educational institutions at all levels.
Dominica Nwabufo
