Education: Edo Gets $75m World Bank Loan - Obaseki

The World Bank has approved a $75 million facility to support the Edo State government’s effort at revamping its education sector.

Governor Godwin Obaseki disclosed this on Thursday during a visit to Usen in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state for his re-election campaign rally.

He noted that the Board of the World Bank gave the approval on Wednesday, saying it was in recognition of the successes recorded by his administration in the education sector.

“I am very glad to inform you that our efforts in revamping education in Edo State and Nigeria have now been richly rewarded.

“Yesterday, the Board of the World Bank approved a $75 million facility for the revamping of education in Edo State,” the governor told a crowd of supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the rally.

According to Governor, education is very important and the state government has begun working to reposition and re-enact the sector, starting with the basic education.

He added, “What that means is that over the next three years, we will have about N40 billion to utilise in changing the face of education in Edo and Nigeria.

“This is because of the fantastic work which members of our team have undertaken in the past few years to show the world what we can do with our educational system.”

The governor gave an assurance that the loan would be utilised to change the face of education in the state for the next three years.

He believes the intervention fund will help to expand the existing Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme from the basic education level to the secondary level, as well as reset tertiary education system in the state on the path of progress.

Governor Obaseki commended his cabinet members for the successes recorded in the education sector, stressing that he was not afraid of signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) whenever the need arise following the progress made so far.

“It will interest you to know that this facility will help us at the secondary school level to do what we have started doing at the basic education level so that by the time a child has gone through five years of learning, that child will be exposed not only to learning and literacy but also to a vocation.

“This is the last time in our history that our education system will produce ‘Agberos’,” the governor stated.