Frontline Governorship Aspirant in Oyo State on the platform of All Progressives Congress Party-APC, Barr Akeem Adedeji Agbaje, has declared that, no child will be suffered to learn in undignified conditions, while school feeding will be expanded to accommodate all pupils in public primary schools, this is because, according to him “…a hungry child cannot learn effectively”.
This education policy is contained in a “Policy and Strategy Document”, released to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday.
Specifically, it states:
“Education is not just a line in a budget—it is the bedrock of every thriving society. As Governor of Oyo State, I will treat education as the most critical investment in our people and our future.
Today, the reality is stark. Too many children in Oyo State learn under leaking roofs, sit on bare floors, and struggle without access to basic learning materials. Our teachers are overstretched and undervalued. Our graduates leave school with certificates that the modern economy does not recognize.
We cannot proudly call ourselves the Pacesetter State while our classrooms remain trapped in the past.
However, my vision is bold and achievable to make Oyo State the education capital of Nigeria by 2031.
The Four Pillars:
- Fix the Foundations.
We will embark on a large-scale transformation of our public schools—renovating 1,000 primary and secondary schools within four years. Every school will have solar power, clean water, and functional sanitation facilities.
No child in Oyo will learn in undignified conditions again.
School feeding will be expanded to cover all public primary schools because a hungry child cannot learn effectively. We will recruit 10,000 new teachers and introduce a Teachers’ Excellence Allowance, rewarding performance and incentivizing service in rural areas.
Teaching must once again become a respected and aspirational profession.
- Skills Over Certificates:
Education must prepare our young people for life, not just exams. We will establish three modern Technical Colleges in Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, and Ogbomoso, tailored to regional economic strengths.
Through strategic partnerships with Nigeria Brewery and other industries/tech hubs, we will redesign curricula to ensure graduates are employable from day one.
Under the “Oyo Tech-Up” initiative, we will train 50,000 youths annually for free in high-demand skills such as coding, welding, agribusiness, and solar technology.
- Universities That Solve Problems:
Our tertiary institutions must become engines of innovation and development. Institutions like LAUTECH, First Technical University, Emmanuel Alayande University, and KolaDaisi University must produce creators, not just seekers, of jobs.
We will establish a ₦5 billion Oyo Research & Innovation Fund focused on agriculture, health technology, and renewable energy. Additionally, 30% of tertiary funding will be tied to measurable outcomes such as graduate employability and innovation output. Political interference in our institutions will end from day one.
- No Child Left Behind:
Every child deserves a fair chance. We will pay WAEC, NECO, and JAMB fees for all public school students because poverty must never be a barrier to potential.
We will build three modern special needs schools and ensure every Local Government Area is equipped for inclusive education. Through our Girl-Child Initiative, we will provide free sanitary pads and mentorship programs to keep girls in school and thriving.
How We Will Fund It:
As a legal practitioner, I understand the importance of accountability. We will block financial leakages and publish school-by-school expenditure reports quarterly for public scrutiny.
Transparency builds trust and attracts development partners who invest in credibility, not empty promises.
I am a proud product of public education. I understand the power of a teacher who believes in you when circumstances say otherwise. This vision is not abstract, it is deeply personal.
Oyo State will no longer measure educational success by painted buildings, but by lives transformed.
We will raise not just graduates, but leaders, innovators, and employers.
The Pacesetter State is a trailblazer and must lead again….
The journey begins in the citadel of learning”.
Barr. Akeem Adedeji Agbaje
APC Governorship Aspirant, Oyo State||
Legal Practitioner || Education Advocate
