BY MOYINOLUWA BAMIDELE-LUCAS
Poised to raise the bar at improving standards of learning and encouraging academic excellence in the tertiary institutions owned by Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that his administration has approved N200m as Annual State Education Intervention Fund.
He also endowed the best graduating student’s award for N1 million annually in honour of his late father, Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun, who passed on August 2.
His Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, said in a statement on Sunday, that Abiodun made these disclosures while speaking at the 12th Convocation Ceremony of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu- Ode.
The governor, who stressed the importance of education and the need to adequately fund it, added that his administration had approved the rehabilitation of internal and access roads of tertiary institutions and the purchase of buses and other necessities for the institutions across the state.
“We have approval of N200 million as Annual State Education Intervention Fund for the development of infrastructure in State owned tertiary institutions. We have approved the rehabilitation of internal and access roads of tertiary institutions and the purchase of buses and other necessities for our tertiary institutions.
“We have also approved scholarships for outstanding students in all Ogun State tertiary institutions, approval for the payment of bursary to Ogun State indigenes in tertiary institutions across the country, as well as approval for Ogun State Education Intervention Fund (OGSEIF) as a Special Intervention Fund for the Education Sector,” the governor said.
He acknowledged the steady growth of TASUED, which according to him has grown to connote the state’s symbol of academic excellence, honour, nobility and the flagship of University of Education in Nigeria.
This, he noted, was achieved by teaching both the curriculum subject contents and the pedagogy for effective transfer of knowledge.
Abiodun further noted that since transitioning from a College of Education and starting with only 25 PhD holders on its permanent academic staff, TASUED has grown to about 250 and from no professor to 53 home-grown full professors running 33 PhD programmes, 43 undergraduate programmes.
He said the on-going massive infrastructural rehabilitation of public schools in all parts of Ogun State was not only to provide the conducive ambience for the teaching-learning process, but also to make the teaching profession attractive and more professional.
While pledging his administration’s commitment to education, the governor, on behalf of his late father, made a personal donation of N1 Million Endowment Fund for the overall best graduating student every year.
He charged the new graduates to see their achievements as the starting point for achieving greater heights in the nearest future, urging them to think outside the box of what they could have done to become employers and not add to the growing rate of unemployment.
“As you go into the world to contribute your quota, you should remember that you are now transitioning into becoming shapers of other destinies. By your graduation today, as teachers, you now have the responsibility towards ensuring that the younger generation is also well developed both in character and learning. Be wise, responsible, industrious, dependable, and humble and always portray a positive character known as a worthy model” the governor submitted.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Oluwole Banjo, said the school has embarked on restructuring to enable it produce high quality and well-rounded professionals that could be compared with their peers anywhere in the world.
He said apart from sustaining the growth of the institution by ensuring accreditation of all programmes, the management has embarked on the construction of 15 housing units, while the school has been designated as the health facility for COVID-19 for students, staff and the host community.