Prior to the administration of Engr. Seyi Makinde, policies and practices towards infrastructure development in the Oyo state education sector were at best stagnating the sector. However, the state got a reprieve with Seyi Makinde, who prioritized the sector as one of the pillars of his roadmap to sustainable development.
By 2019, Oyo state had an educational infrastructural deficit of 60 billion Naira, but since taking office as governor, Seyi Makinde has been spending about N3 billion yearly on both state counterpart and UBEC funding. In 2024, the education sector received the largest percentage of budget allocation and the second largest in the 2025 budget.
According to Governor Makinde in one of his recent interviews, he said, his government was spending N3 billion yearly to meet the N60 billion gap, unfortunately, it will take the state 20 years to close that gap. To bridge the gap in a few years, the Oyo state Governor decided to appoint a Special Adviser on Education Intervention (Honorable Suraj Tiamiyu) and scheduled to spend N10 billion to N15 billion yearly to help the government bridge the gap in four years.
Presently, Oyo State, in partnership with Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and the Global partnership for Education (GPE) through the world bank, has just completed the renovation of 105 primary schools across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Oyo is among the three states selected two years ago by BESDA to benefit from a $123.8 million support grant by the World Bank Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which focuses on improving basic education.
The success of the BESDA-GPE project relies heavily on transparency and project delivery; as such, the Governor’s team led by Hon Tiamiyu has now delivered 105 renovated schools in rural areas in less than six months.
The status of rural primary schools has been a major concern of educationists for years. Some of the schools renovated should be uninhabitable by farm animals but used by primary school children as classrooms. Qualitative education cannot be limited to a few schools in urban areas while children in rural areas are subjected to studying in inhumane conditions.
A total number of 190 schools in rural areas within Oyo state are targeted for renovation with appropriate infrastructure under the All-Additional Financing-Transforming Education System at States (BESDA AF-TEES) of the World Bank Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
The Oyo state government, BESDA AF-TEES renovated three classrooms with ramps access for physically challenged pupils, procured new infrastructure such as furniture and modern boards in all the classrooms, built 2 toilets each for males and females, sank boreholes, with the installation of solar power in each of the selected 105 schools. The completion of the renovation of the 105 schools, which are all in the rural areas, is said to be in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s unrelenting effort and commitment to the development of education in the state. This achievement lends credence to the efforts of the present administration at recording a 100 percent literacy rate in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals 7 & 14 Education for All Policy.
According to the Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Education Intervention, Mr. Suraj Tiamiyu, the school-Based Management Committee SBMC, who are the Community stakeholders of the renovated schools, were on ground to partner the state in ensuring the project was delivered to specifications. Tiamiyu said the GPE—TEES renovated school project would help improve the quality and access to education and transform the system in Oyo state. He noted that the completed classrooms, with their modern facilities, will in a long way address issues of out–of–school children and provide an inclusive, quality education for all children.
The BESDA AF-TESS school renovation project, which has seen 105 schools out of 190 targeted completed in Oyo state, is being run in the major three states: Oyo, Adamawa, and Katsina. It is a 4-year program that commenced in 2022 and is to be terminated by October 2025.
Team-work has been pivotal to the success of the school renovation project. The success of this project stems from the exceptional collaboration and dedication of key team members:
Prof. Abdulwaheed Soliu, Commissioner for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, who provided strategic oversight and leadership in driving educational reforms.
Dr. Nureni Adeniran, Chairman of SUBEB, whose relentless commitment to enhancing educational infrastructure was invaluable.
Akinade Alamu, Former Chairman of TESCOM, laid the groundwork for ongoing progress in the education sector.
Adetokunbo Adeaga, Chairman of CSDA, was pivotal in his vital role in mobilizing community participation.
Dr. Odekunle, State Coordinator, Ministry of Education, has been effective in providing visionary leadership and effective coordination of the entire BESDA-GPE project
Beneficiaries of the renovations of 105 rural schools have been ecstatic at the quality of work done and also the facilities provided. With the provision of portable water through the solar-powered motorized borehole, residents of communities around the schools have a portable water supply.
Reactions
One of the residents of Idi-oro Okeho, Kajola local government area, Baba Adeoti Fabiyi on behalf of the community thanked the Oyo state government for finding it worthy to reconstruct a befitting classroom at Community Basic School, Ido-oro/Asaka for their children. Baba Fabiyi said, the classrooms and the basic educational amenities installed will aide learning of the children as well as improve the teaching ability of the teachers.
A parent, Mrs. Felicia Bamgbopa who has two grandsons at NOMADIC primary school, Suladi in his reaction to the renovated school building said, most parents at Suladi and its environment will no longer be bothered about the primary education of their children anymore. She explained that the new school building and its compound is so beautiful and conducive.
A teacher, who does not want to be named at Oluyole government council primary school, Oba Ado stated “Now we teachers can teach in a proper school building with a conducive environment. Before now, everything about the job in the school was not encouraging, even the pupils stopped coming to school because there was no furniture to sit on.
Folake Ojetomi from Lanlate, Ibarapa East local government was pleased with the new look of Islamic Mission I in Lanlate. She said the children of the school will henceforth enjoy attending school, she added that the people living around the will also benefit from the portable water supply
Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration’s achievements in education over the years includes the construction of model schools, the construction of classrooms with toilets, the renovation of classroom blocks, it also includes the installation of boreholes, and the construction of perimeter fences in schools.
As it is, the Oyo state government, under the administration of government Seyi Makinde continues to prioritize education. Aside from the recent employment of over 15 thousand new teachers, the government has not stopped training and retraining of teachers as well and the motivation of other personnel has gone a long way in bringing out the best in pupils and students. In a bid to also ensure that no child is left behind regardless of his economic background. In all, Seyi Makinde’s administration has completed over 400 projects in the education sector alone.
These projects improved the learning atmosphere of the thousands of pupils/students in the Oyo State public and private school system. Makinde has invested heavily in the reconstruction of school buildings and the provision of modern infrastructure in order to make learning conducive for students.
The Governor believes that education is central to development and a key to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He believes it is one of the most powerful instruments to reduce poverty, inequality and lay a foundation for sustainable economic growth.
