Oyo state government has disclosed that about 120 government-owned schools in the State will be powered by solar energy.
Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Education, Science and Technology, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi made this disclosure on Tuesday while speaking on the sidelines of the OYOMESI children’s conference and workshop held in Emeritus Theophilus Ogunlesi hall, Ibadan.
She explained that the benefiting schools, especially those that are digitally compliant, are expected to utilize the free solar to power their schools.
“We have started going round from St Anne’s, Molete to Wesley college, Elekuro, in Ibadan, to do a power audit and know their needs.
“We have a company in the USA that has promised us free solar for 120 schools for a start. We will put it in those schools that have started digital literacy so that they won’t need to depend on PHCN to power the computers that we put in their schools,” Akin-Alabi said.
Speaking further, Akin-Alabi said the weeklong OYOMESI festival of learning was targeted at ending the backwardness of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, through workshops, infusion of local content in the curriculum and other enlightenment programmes.
This, she said was aimed at building the intellectual capacity of students in the state towards having knowledgeable, competent and civil citizens.
One of the participants at Tuesday’s conference, Miss Olufemi Hannah, of St Anne’s Senior School, Molete, Ibadan, remarked that she had been imparted positively to think outside the box, explore her potentials and be more confident to face life’s challenges.