By Mrs Hadiza Sanusi
Education is a vehicle of freedom, growth and innovation for advancement of humanity. It requires deliberate attempt and political will to navigate through torrential rains of backwardness when the sector is confronted with setbacks.
No nation can rise above the quality of education available for its citizens, it becomes a collective efforts for all stakeholders to achieve qualitative basic education for teeming younger population. Oyo state is not an exemption among the states battling with high rate of out of school children in South-West. The State that was noted for many firsts from education, entertainment and other critical sectors is becoming another thing.
According to data from Nigeria Multidisciplinary Poverty Index (NMPI) in collaboration with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2024, Oyo state has 20.9% of its children out of school, this calls for sober reflection and intervention of key stakeholders because national average of out of school children is 10.05%.
Disturbed by this background and future danger for young children in country’s of over 200 million population, a non-government organization, Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation with a vision to create a world where every individual has access to quality education among others took his educational supports initiative to a disadvantaged rural community in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State to give hope to the hopeless and reduce educational imbalance that could endanger the future of young minds.
Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation is ready to fill the existing gap hindering equitable access to qualitative education in Ona-Ara Local Government and Egbeda Local Government Area bearing it in mind that government alone cannot do it.
Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation understands what it takes to build a nation with genuine human resources of high class. To achieve this, the foundation knows commitment that must go into human capital development. The foundation with its mission of making positive impact understands the need to prioritize sound basic education for the teeming population.
Chief Gbenga Obilade’s recent intervention at St Andrew Primary School, Koroboto, Ona-Ara LG, Oyo State where free uniform, school bags, exercise books, rubber sandals and pens were procured for 200 pupils from Primary 1 to 6, the teachers in the school also benefitted from the intervention of the foundation. The elated pupils who could not hide their prayed fervently to the visionary founder of the foundation, Chief Gbenga Obilade.
The event drew the attention four Baales; Baale Akintayo, High Chief Abdulramon Olayiwola Akintayo, Baale Akinjole, High Chief Akeem Olawale, Baale Mosopa, High Chief Saidi Gbadamosi and Baale Babanla, High Chief Raifu Olawale Yusuf.
While reflecting on the impact of the foundation in St Andrew Primary School, Koroboto, the founder of the foundation, Chief Gbenga Obilade said he is poised to do more for humanity to thrive.
‘’The positive impact the project has on the pupils, their parents and school authority confirmed to me that Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation came at the right time to add values to academic environment, pupils and staff of the school. We will not stop as soon as we have resources to expand. It’s our core mandate to give back to society that has positive multiplier effect in the future. What we did at St Andrew Primary School, Koroboto will not stop there, we will monitor the progress and follow up. I appreciate amazing team of Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation for the sacrifice at all time to get things done and impact humanity’’
Mrs Sade Olukuewu, the Head Teacher of St Andrews Primary School, Koroboto who could not hide her remarks after the intervention of Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the NGO for the love shown to her school.
‘’This act of love from Gbenga Obilade’s Foundation brought about drastic change and firmness in the appearance of the pupils to school, Before the foundation’s intervention, most of the pupils carry their books with polythene bags which makes their books rough. The distribution of bags has helped them pack their books properly. Talking about all items; school bags, exercise books, school uniforms and rubber sandals that were distributed that day, it has really brought about great changes.
‘’Before, some parents have not been able to change their children’s school uniforms all because they cannot afford it, their wards does not have choice than to wear torn and patched uniforms but now they look so good’’.
Mrs Olukuewu while reflecting on the foundation’s gesture acknowledged and expressed appreciation to the foundation for covering transportation cost of pupils who sat for Common Entrance Examination into JSS 1.
