Education Policy Under Governor Kayode Fayemi: The First Of Its Kind In Ekiti - Olalekan Soyombo

Olalekan Soyombo Esq, S.A to Ekiti Governor on Students Affairs and Kayode Fayemi

It is no Longer news that the Ekiti State Governor, Dr John Kayode fayemi reeled out the 2020 score card in education and in addendum expressed his undaunted focus in year 2021 in his New Year address to the people of Ekiti State.

The New Year broadcast no doubt communicates hope to the teeming masses of the Ekiti people who are still smattering from the despair and pangs of the global anxiety as the message contains many provisions that will fast track the healings of the people from the bruises posed by the various national and global challenges particularly as it concerns education.

It is a truism to say that the huge attention and many provisions giving to education sector by this current government is an eloquent testimony that Governor Fayemi is a needed driver in the Ekiti vehicle to the promise land. If there is one sector the Kayode Fayemi administration have been obsessed about, it is the education sector. In the last two years in Ekiti State, Governor Fayemi has demonstrated his deep respect for value of learning and culture.

Governor Fayemi have not led anybody in doubt that education is a major plank of his policy in the restoration of the values of the state, and he has left no stone unturned in his single minded approach to revamping the important sector in his unassailable quest to returning the State into her pride of place believing that Ekiti state has long been reputable as the intellectual capital of the country and as the state with the largest concentration of academics giants amongst other resource capital.

The government of Ekiti State in recent times has borne out an errand for progress in the education sector with commendable constancy bearing in mind the constant evolution that has become the lot of education and the fact that it will be unproductive and useless unless it is made functional. This critical agenda was reflected in its conception as a major plank of the state’s economic pivot in the formulation of the policy for the State and that ‘knowledge economy is expedient to the future of our state and the country at large.

The quality of governor Kayode Fayemi in tapping from the existential and his deep seated yearnings for the Ekiti place of honor and development among her contemporaries is captured in his New year message as stated inter alia; “Ekiti State is known as the Fountain of Knowledge.

Our people love, seek, and celebrate knowledge. We arguably have the highest number of professors and academic pioneers per capita in Nigeria. We also have many of our citizens who are leading lights in every field of human endeavor as well as those who are at the frontiers of research in the academia and scholastic practice all over the world. It is therefore a logical choice to turn to knowledge as the primary product in which we can trade successfully.

To survive and thrive in today’s global economy as Ekiti people, we should be committed to using our brilliant minds to promote sustainable development. We will pay attention to fields such as teaching, research, skills development, creative arts, strengthening tertiary institutions and educational entrepreneurship. To this end, my administration will resuscitate the Ekiti Knowledge Zone which was established during my first term in office. We will also be counting on the input of Ekiti people everywhere in our efforts to establish these critical linkages in our knowledge economy”.

It is thus cheering to note that this profound statement of faith is already finding flesh as commitment and provision to make this a reality is in high gear, most especially when such is finding expression in the year 2021 policy. What Governor Fayemi portends is that better days are here for the teeming youths and students of the state as their potentials and innate skills are about to be unleashed and provided an outlet to thrive. I therefore congratulates the Students and the Youths for that great opportunity provided in their own time.This singular and uniquely idea based policy has undoubtedly projected Governor Kayode Fayemi as an exemplary leader whose words are his bond and a servant who is on a pact with his people to radically transform the state from the backwater of socio-economic status to a global player in human resources and a force to reckon with amongst the states of the federation using the instrumentality of the State vast reputation in academic prowess and knowledge endowment.

As part of Mr. Governor’s show of excellent commitment to promoting literacy and knowledge among the learned, Governor Fayemi awarded bursaries and scholarships to undergraduates (including the physically challenged) masters and PhD students. It is also not stopped at that, but in order also to imbue them with values; Governor Fayemi also tinkered with curriculum of the state from primary 1-6 and from J.S.S 1-3 which will be implemented in this year 2021 having discovered that the curriculum is obsolete and does not capture the present reality of the contemporary times. What this mean is that, the curriculum in our public schools should encompass the beneficial and relevant codifications that will aversely be for the general interest of the students.

Governor Fayemi is not also softening pedal in her pursuit of free and compulsory education for the Ekiti State. In making sure that free education policy stands enviable and functional, Governor Fayemi has continuously given running grants to primary, secondary and technical schools in the state doubled with giving instructional materials to those schools and construction of new schools and renovating many of the dilapidated ones in all the sixteen local government of Ekiti State.

Suffix to say that the construction of four global Standard model colleges has also been awarded and completed by Kayode Fayemi Led Government. These four model colleges are situated in different part of the state and named after some heroic sons of Ekiti State. These four colleges are ready for commencement and commissioning in few days to come.

Considering all these interventions, it is as crystal as the day, that the education sector is witnessing a new dawn under Governor Fayemi as all these single-minded commitments are bearing fruits already considering the exponential increase in the enrolment figures in the primary, secondary and technical schools in Ekiti state from 106,271 pupils in primary schools in 2018 to 140,518 pupils in 2020; 85,681 in secondary schools in 2018 to 109,542 pupils in 2020 and 240 students in technical colleges in 2018 to 910 students in 2020.

What is also remarkable is that a large percentage of the new enrollees were attracted from the private school sector in the State. This is a confirmation that Kayode Fayemi is tremendously affecting the lives of the Ekiti people positively, particularly the poor masses who could not access quality education in the time past.

Flowing from the evidence of fact above, it becomes evident that Governor Fayemi deserves massive support from the people of Ekiti State beyond sentiments. Governor Fayemi is a leader that places value of excellence above primordial considerations as he is continue to stand tall as a trail blazer in all ramifications. In the light of the achievements of this government so far, it is an immutable truth to say Fyemi is the much needed “the change and the transformation” that we currently need in this period of perennial challenges in Ekiti State.

I therefore call on the people of Ekiti state particularly the parents at home to keep supporting and praying for Governor Kayode Fayemi for more strength, wisdom and endowment as HE shoulder the Ekiti progress and Her interest to the pedestal of greatness. Our people should eschew sentiments and place objectivity above other considerations and make collective interest a priority.

Sincerely yours,

Olalekan SOYOMBO Esq

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Student’s Matters

Ekiti State.

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