Aregbrsola’s Educational Legacy: Between President Buhari and Akintade Abdullah Akanbi

The Educational Legacy of Ogbeni Adesoji Aregbrsola is yielding positive result and greater performance. I congratulate Master Akintade Abdullah Akanbi on his feat as the youngest scientist in Nigeria 2020, and his presentation of the award of excellence by the President and the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari. While I congratulate the youngest scientist, I also acknowledge the vital roles been played by his teachers in Osogbo Government High School, his parents and the government of the State of Osun, both the immediate past administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who laid the good foundation and investing huge resources to actualize this feat. Osogbo Government High School is one of the high schools built by Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State that was commissioned by President Buhari four years ago.

Master Akintade Abdullahi, a student of Osogbo Government High School, who left Molek Secondary School, Osogbo because of financial difficulties. That was why he left private school for public school. Master Akintade Abdullahi does not represent the politics of reversal in Osun educational policy; he is a manifestation of government’s commitment to educational development, which is also derived from APC’s ideology and manifesto of providing mass education to the people. He got full scholarship up to PhD level for emerging the overall best Young Nigerian Scientist of the Year. Abdullahi achieved the feat having won the 1st position in the National Examination of the 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award, organised by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. I thank Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for laying the good foundation in Osun educational sector.

Recently President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja granted full scholarship up to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree level to three secondary students who emerged winners at the year 2020 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award Competition.

The scholarship is in any science-related discipline of their choice at any university in the country. Declaring open the 2020 Science, Technology and Innovation Expo with the theme ”Enhancing The Growth Of A Diversified Economy Through Science And Technology’‘, the President commended the creativity and competitive spirit of the three young scientists who emerged tops in the competition tagged 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award (774 YONSPA). The students are Masters Akintade Abdullahi Akanbi of Osun State from Osogbo Government High School Osogbo, Osun State, who came first; while the second positions went to Uwakwe Nelson Kamsiyochukwu of Anambra State from British Spring College,  Awka and Aimofumhe Eshiobomhe Sigmus of FCT from the School of the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Abuja, respectively.

I want to remind Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari on August 2016 described the newly completed Osogbo Government High school built by the then Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as an educational legacy that must be emulated by other states of the federation. The President stated this while commissioning the state-of-the-art school to commemorate the 25th creation anniversary of the state in Osogbo. Buhari noted that the ‎3,000-capacity complex with 72 classrooms, 10 computer hub, modern laboratory,  each capable of sitting 49 pupils, is in line and fulfillment with his administration and party’s education policy. The facility here is worthy of emulation by other states. What we are witnessing here is a fulfillment of our government policy on education.

How do you reverse Aregbesola’s huge investment in education? Aregbesola has eliminated infrastructure gaps and inconsistency in education in Osun. Section 18 (1) of the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as amended states that government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. Section 18(3) notes that government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education; and (d) free adult literacy programme. These rights are hardly enforced, and many are still required to pay for their education.

Aregbesola’s huge investment in education sector has removed the dilapidated, school buildings and in conducive learning environment. Of the 100 Elementary Schools, 50 Middle Schools and 11 High Schools in the infrastructure upgrade under the first phase, government has successfully commissioned  Elementary Schools,Middle Schools, and 11SUKUK High Schools. Aregbesola has built the best secondary schools in Nigeria as at today but how you manage them is a different ball game.

Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has changed Osun school curriculum from studying to acquire certificates to studying to acquire knowledge and skills. This is the basis of the educational reforms in the state. Before Aregbesola’s reform, students were studying mainly to obtain certificates rather than to acquire knowledge and skills. Students who once lacked access to modern-day digital tools are now fully exploiting the internet, interactive apps, online courses, and computing technology as part of their daily lessons, opening doors to new opportunities and a promising future.

Former Governor Aregbesola has identified the link between knowledge and economic miracles which is education, and has built and equipped schools in Osun with huge investment in education. The huge investment in education is a strategic foresight that manifested in Master Akintade Abdullahi, a student of Osogbo Government High School. The more educated a workforce is, the more it is able to absorb knowledge and translate it into economic growth. Aregbesola has said that the world is moving towards the use of knowledge rather than wealth to measure success, adding that those who invested in education stood the chance of becoming rich. Osun huge investment in education is a strategic foresight which has taken education beyond classroom. Aregbesola said, “What differentiates human beings from animals is education aside from good manners. In the history of mankind, those who lead the human race are usually the most knowledgeable.”

The intervention of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the education sector in Osun state has helped to secure the future of the state. The education policy of Osun is in tandem with that of the federal government which aims at improving school enrolment.  Aregbesola has turned the state into a true metropolitan state emphasised that what the administration of the government has done in the education sector is more than that of any state. The construction of modern school structures around the state coupled with the school Feeding programme of the state is capable of getting out of school children back to school just like the federal ministry of education has been clamouring for. Rauf Aregbesola has invested in public school education if the nation will have peace and move forward. His government decided to invest heavily in the public school education because of the realization that failure to this is planning for a future of doom. The former governor stressed that the children of the poor also deserves to attend good schools. He emphasised that the past glory of public schools needs to be rekindled for the benefit of all, noting that public school buildings used to be the best structures in the community before past governments neglected it.

Whether critics like it or not, former Governor Aregbesola has laid the foundation and remains the pioneer of digital education in Nigeria and he represents an agent of change as far as digital education is concerned in Nigeria. The history of Digital Education will remember Governor Aregbesola as the first Nigerian to implement the UNESCO recommendation on digital education. Nigerians need to visit Osun Sukuk Schools, Middle Schools and Elementary Schools. Aregbesola has undertaken to build and equip schools with computer classrooms and training teachers to use digital media in education. In this line, Opon Imo “local content’’ in digital education has allowed teachers to use tablets to teach students. In the history of Nigeria,  Aregbesola will be remembered as the first leader to introduce digital education. Like India, Osun State is working to improve on Opon Imo. In years to come, Aregbesola will be remembered as part of digital education in Nigeria.

There is no doubt that Aregbesola understands the role that technology can play in realising the vision for Nigeria’s growth – it is at the core of the Digital Opon Imo and a key driver across all plans devised by the Osun State government over the last 8 years. The government recognises the transformative power of technology and sees it as an enabler for the change that we all seek – be it in delivering better citizen services, digitising education records, efficient and productive functioning, or using technology to provide a new social security platform

Until recently many students in Osun had never touched a tablet computer. But it took them about “one minute to work out how to use one when such devices arrived at Osun schools. Osun students were not slow to embrace the new tool. Teaching used to be conducted with a blackboard and a handful of tattered textbooks. Now children in groups of five take turns to swipe the touch screen of the devices, which are loaded with a multimedia version of Nigeria’s syllabus.

The State Government of Osun, under the leadership of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, in its resolve to champion inspiring innovations for Africa, undertook a ground breaking step to utilise ICTs to concisely tackle the learning problem through the Opón Ìmò Initiative.