Gov. Obaseki Advocates Democratization of Education in Nigeria

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State in Nigeria is advocating for the democratization of education to address the educational gap and the dysfunctional education system in the country. This means making education accessible to a broader range of people and addressing disparities in educational opportunities.

The governor made these remarks during a courtesy visit by members and executives of the Federal Government Girls College, Benin Alumni Association.

Obaseki acknowledged the efforts of key figures, including former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen Samuel Ogbemudia, and the then Minister of Education, in establishing educational institutions in the region.

He said, “We lobbied for the school to be set up in Benin City at that time and the focus and creativity of our governor was to acquire a large portion of land designated as an education hub as you have the University of Benin, and Benin Technical College close to you.

“This school and all others set up at that time were to be part of a system as the thinking after the civil war was to create a united country and also give opportunity for our diversity relating to gender.”

The governor expressed concern about the girl-child’s education and how it was prioritized by the state government to combat issues like human trafficking and irregular migration.

Obaseki continued: “The issue of educating the girl-child is not new to us as a State. That is why we were very concerned when we came into office seven years ago. We concentrated on what was going on with the girl-child following incidents of human trafficking and irregular migration. This led us to prioritise education, particularly education for the girl-child.

“We have turned the situation around as Edo is no longer amongst the first 10 States in the country in terms of human trafficking. We are not where we want to be but will ensure that the examples of institutional building we have seen in the Federal Government Girls College Benin and other Federal Government Colleges across the country trickle down across our educational system.

“This is necessary so that we don’t create a dangerous situation that is emanating from the country with the opportunity gap because of the educational divide we have created. We must democratize quality education and make sure that we remove issues or incidents of learning poverty from our country as we have emphasised education in Edo State.”

Obaseki mentioned that Edo State has made significant reforms in basic education to ensure that every child, especially the girl-child, has access to high-quality basic education. The state’s goal is to ensure that every 10-year-old in Edo can read, write, and do basic math.

The state government uses technology to monitor the progress of nearly 400,000 children in the school system to ensure they receive a quality education.

He further noted, “We have reset the education system in Edo State through basic education. In Edo State, we have ensured that every child, particularly the girl-child has access to high-quality basic education which is the foundation upon which every other thing rest.

“We are glad today that we have almost 400,000 of these children in our school system. We know each and every one of them as we are able to monitor them through the use of technology. Our goal is to make sure that every child in Edo at the age of 10 is able to read, write, and do their sums right. We are already seeing the results.

“As a State, when a child comes into our educational custody at the age of 6 years, we have responsibility for that child till that child is 15 years old as we create the basics for that child to live a self-sustained life even if that child doesn’t have opportunity to go forward.”

Obaseki called on the alumni and other stakeholders to advocate for the transformation of the education system in Nigeria. He highlighted issues such as a high dropout rate between primary six and SS1, which contributes to human trafficking problems in the country.

Obaseki charged, “You have to belong to the group that will advocate for proper transformation of the education system in Nigeria. Our education is in crisis as our education managers have messed things up. The dropout ratio between primary six and SS1 is 50 percent which is responsible for high trafficking in Nigeria as we have to build the education sector in the country to be able to optimize our potential.”

The leader of the alumni delegation and Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, expressed appreciation for the governor’s efforts in the education sector and the state’s developmental strides.

The takeaway is that, Obaseki is urging for the democratization of education in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of quality education for all, with a focus on the girl-child. The state of Edo has implemented reforms in its basic education system to ensure access to quality education and monitor students’ progress. Obaseki also called for advocacy to improve the education system at the national level.