What Gov Sanwo-Olu Really Did to Education In Lagos
In Nigeria, Lagos State stands tall among its peers when it comes to premium placed on education.
As a rallying point for all tribes and ethnic groups across the nation, it’s safe to assert that the quality of education available for Lagos residents affect the overall educational level of the nation.
The population of youths around school age residents in the state is approximately about 10 million, the largest in the nation, and as such, significant resources, strategic planning and purposeful leadership are critical to meeting the educational needs as required.
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu’s disposition to education reflects also largely in his commitments. That his THEMES agenda, an acronym for the main pillars of his administration includes education as a key element, speaks volumes.
His footprints in the Educational Sector has been a Blue print replicated by other States in the country, who seek ways to improve their educational sector and also give quality education to their respective residents.
No doubt that in the last few years there have been challenges globally; the COVID-19 pandemic had hit the world unexpectedly bringing work, schools and religious houses to a close. The center of excellence has continually proven beyond reasonable doubt that education is one of the utmost priorities of his administration .
Project Zero was an initiative deployed to tackle the menace of out-of-school children by supporting and re-enrolling children who are out of school or on the verge of dropping out of school.
READ MORE: Lagos govt reveals date for Basic Education Certificate Examination resit
The initiative, in partnership with Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), is deployed to trace, mobilize and support children who have dropped out of school due to socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanwo – Olu had launched an innovative and transformational EKOEXCEL (Excellence in Child Education and Learning) a programme targeted to provide quality education in the public system and upskill teachers by leveraging technology months after assuming office.
A recent study in June 2022, two years after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu inaugurated EKOEXCEL in all 1012 public primary schools,by Nobel Prize-winning economist, Professor Michael Kremer shows that that the Governor made an excellent investment choice.
The EKOEXCEL 2020-2021 Endline Fluency and Numeracy Evaluation also confirmed that pupils are making substantial progress in oral reading fluency and foundational numeracy compared to their performance before its commencement.
It showed that an average Primary 3 EKOEXCEL pupil is now reading at nearly the same fluency level as an average Primary 5 pupil from before the launch of the EKOEXCEL programme. The evaluation also affirmed that EKOEXCEL is improving learning over what existed before.
So far, over 18,000 head teachers and teachers have been moved from analogue to digital teaching, using tablets and updated curricula. Over 14,000 teachers from 1,012 public primary schools have been captured under the scheme. The education reform programme has also recorded remarkable gains in enhancing the teacher-pupil interaction experience through technology (eLearning) in Lagos State primary schools.
The Governor understands that investing significantly in entrepreneurship skill development, innovation and creativity, public finance management, and human capital development is the one major way to realise the Greater Lagos dream, more reason why Education is also a key component of the THEMES Agenda.
The governor has a listening ears to civil servants especially teachers who are known as our future moulder, more reason why the teachers will benefit from the Lagos Blue and Red Line Rail System to help ease stress and bring effectiveness and punctuality at work place
It is crucial to note that the Lagos Blue and Red Line Rail System will commute a lot of teachers who resides in border towns like Akute, Agbado, Sango, Ijoko, Ota, Matogun, Iju, and others, which are on the Red Line route, while places like Igbesa, Agbara, Ado-Odo, and environs which are in Ogun State, will benefit from our Blue Line project once it is fully operational.
No wonder The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter had suspended an indefinite strike that almost paralysed higher institution generally in the country over outstanding arrears of minimum wage and other demands to honor of the Lagos state Governor .
His administration brought about the innovation, T.H.E.M.E (Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology), a State strategic development agenda set has been met by the state government.
The governor last year had approved the immediate 100 percent increment on bursary payable to students of Lagos State origin in tertiary institutions across the country.
In the last 46 month the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration has embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of schools in Lagos.
Highlighted below are the giant stride of the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu administration in the Educational Sector;
• Brand new SUVs given TO 13 outstanding teachers and school administrators on Wednesday, June 28, 2022
• Commissioned a containerised 12-classroom block with facilities such as an interactive touch screen, mini football pitch and a multi-sports court at the Vetland Junior Grammar School, Ojokoro on Wednesday, June 28, 2022.
• Built and commissioned 18-classroom school, recreational facilities in Elemoro Junior Secondary School, Ibeju-Lekki axis of the State.
• Commissioned 180-bed hostel, block of classrooms, others at Model College Igbokuta
• Upgraded 2 higher institutions to Universities
• Constructed 4,000 flats for the staff of Lagos State University [LASU].
• 243 public secondary schools’ libraries were renovated and digitized.
• Recruited 1,000 public secondary school teachers.
• Over 1,097 school projects are being undertaken by the Sanwo-Olu administration.
• Comprehensive upgrade of 970 public primary and secondary schools.
• Supplied 86,000 dual furniture sets to 775 public schools
• Constructed 70 new school buildings
• Renovated 197 public schools across the State.
• Built 8 new hostel blocks in the State-owned boarding schools.
• Provided 1,400 hostel beds for Lagos Model Colleges.
• Constructed 8 watch Towers with alarm Bells and perimeter fences in Model Colleges.
• 300 classrooms to be delivered in public secondary schools.
• Renovated 5 libraries Epe, Badagry, Eti-Osa, Amuwo-Odofin and Ikorodu
• Completed and delivered LASU students’ Arcade
• Embarked on the construction of 8,272-bed for LASU students
• Provided 450,000 pupils with e-learning devices
• 18,000 teachers were trained under EKO EXCEL
• Rehabilitated 71 blocks of classrooms
• 92 public primary schools undergoing various stages of rehabilitation.
• Provided 61,000 units of single-dual composite furniture for secondary schools.
• Provided 87,000 units of single-dual for primary school pupils spread across the six education districts.
• Construction, renovation and rehabilitation of 71 blocks of classrooms and hostels across the Education Districts in the state.
