The Lagos State Government has disclosed plan to partner private stakeholders to improve the standard of education in the state.
The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the 2020 education public-private partnership dialogue in Lagos, said his administration was ready to harness opportunities to improve education in the state.
While urging the private stakeholders in education to partner the government to improve education at all levels in the state, Sanwo-Olu stated that education was one of the pillars of his administration.
“All of us are witnesses to the transformative power of education for both personal and national development. We are able to occupy the various positions we are in today by virtue of the education we have received over the course of our lives,” he said.
“For us in the Lagos State Government, education is one of the pillars of our governance agenda. We are demonstrating this commitment in a number of ways. We are increasing the budgetary allocation to education. We are also doing this through a new initiative known as EKO EXCEL which trains and supports public school teachers and administrators to incorporate technology into teaching across all our local governments and local council development areas.
“We recognise that Lagos requires educational infrastructure that is compliant with the demands of the 21st century. Technology must support teaching and learning in our schools to help prepare our pupils and students for the world of tomorrow and not just of today,” he noted.
The governor added that the education reform plan of his administration would cover every facet of the public education system. This included primary schools, secondary schools, model colleges, technical and vocational schools.
“Our goal is simple; we want to give every child, every student in Lagos, a solid foundation for personal and professional success. As policymakers and private sector professionals, we have a responsibility to ensure that emerging generations of young people are exposed to the same high-quality educational opportunities that we enjoyed and which made a difference in our lives.
“We know that education is not only about the classroom. But rather a comprehensive and well-rounded education which involves the impartation of skills. Such as empathy, leadership, self-confidence and awareness of the world and of our place in it. In addition, there must be an emphasis on inculcating values and ethics in our young people,” Sanwo-Olu added.
