Oyo State Government has identified 477 Islamic centres across the state for the first phase of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme.
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Nureni Adeniran, disclosed this one Monday while addressing coordinators of the centres in Ibadan.
He said the state government has also identified some nomadic centres, as well as centres for hawkers, saying these are part of the government’s preparedness for the BESDA programme which will kick start very soon in the state.
He stated that “since the inception of the Better Education Service Delivery for All Programme, Oyo State Government has successfully enrolled over 100, 000 out of school children in Nigeria.”
Adeniran stressed that the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration is making concerted efforts to reduce the number of out of school children, noting that more children are joining the queue.
The SUBEB Chairman further said that enrolment is increasing in schools across the state because the government has provided a conducive atmosphere of learning and teaching to encourage children to attend schools.
Adeniran promised that until the state government’s efforts at enrolling all out of school children is totally achieved, the Board he supervises will not rest on its oars.
According to the SUBEB Chairman, only education offers children the opportunity to confront the illiteracy and bring about the desired institutional changes in the country.
He added that for any country to develop, it must have a well-developed educational system that equips its people and prepares them with adequate knowledge.
Adeniran appealed to the coordinators of the centres to cooperate with the present administration to ensure a literate society.
Speaking on behalf of other coordinators, an Islamic centre coordinator, Alh. Abdul-Wahab Oluwakemi, from Akinyele Local Government, thanked both the Federal and Oyo State Government for the kind gesture, promising their unalloyed support to the development of education in the State.
BESDA is a World Bank programme-for- Results aimed at bringing out-of-school children into the classroom, improve literacy, and strengthen accountability for results in basic education.
