Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration has made significant strides in revitalizing education in Oyo State by renovating 105 primary schools under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) initiative and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), in collaboration with the World Bank.
The renovations mark a major intervention in the state’s education sector, which had been grappling with stagnant infrastructure development prior to Makinde’s tenure.
Oyo State’s educational infrastructure was in dire need of attention, with a staggering deficit of N60 billion by 2019. Since taking office, Makinde has committed approximately N3 billion annually from the state’s counterpart and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funding to address this shortfall. Despite these efforts, the governor has acknowledged that it would take the state about 20 years to fully bridge the gap.
In a recent interview, Makinde emphasized the importance of sustained funding for education: “We are spending N3 billion yearly to meet the N60 billion gap. Unfortunately, it will take the state 20 years to close the deficit.” The governor’s commitment to education is underscored by his administration’s substantial budget allocations, with the education sector receiving the largest share of the 2024 budget and the second-largest in the 2025 budget.
In a bid to expedite progress, Makinde appointed Suraj Tiamiyu as the Special Adviser on Education Intervention, who outlined plans to allocate between N10 billion and N15 billion annually to narrow the gap within four years.
The renovation of 105 primary schools, completed in less than six months, is a significant milestone. These schools are spread across Oyo State’s three senatorial districts, with a focus on rural areas that had long been neglected. The renovations were made possible by Oyo’s selection as one of three states to benefit from a $123.8 million support grant from the World Bank’s GPE, aimed at improving basic education. The BESDA-GPE project places a strong emphasis on transparency and the efficient delivery of results, with Tiamiyu’s team leading the charge on this front.
“Some of the schools renovated were uninhabitable, but were being used by primary school children as classrooms,” said a government spokesperson. The renovations address not only structural issues but also provide essential infrastructure such as ramps for physically challenged students, new furniture, modern boards, two toilets for males and females, boreholes, and solar-powered electricity.
The efforts are part of the state government’s broader goal of ensuring 100 percent literacy, in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Education for All policy. The completion of these renovations is a crucial step toward realizing this ambition, with 190 rural schools slated for future upgrades under the BESDA AF-TEES initiative.
Governor Makinde’s ongoing commitment to education is reshaping the learning environment for thousands of children across Oyo State, bringing much-needed hope to communities previously underserved in educational infrastructure.
