Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has restated the commitment of his administration to implementing education policies that are designed to meet society needs and equip students with practical skills for real-world challenges.
The Governor stated this in his office at the weekend, while receiving a delegation from South Korea, led by the Koika Deputy Country Director, Mr Baik Ki-Hyyn, who was in the state for an in-depth survey of the Smart School Project in the State.
According to a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor , Mr Yinka Oyebode, Governor Oyebanji said his administration is strategically leveraging on smart technology in education to equip students with the needed skills, enhanced critical thinking and creativity to become solution providers, and ensuring that graduates in the state are well prepared to tackle contemporary challenges and contribute to the overall development of the state and the country at large.
Governor Oyebanji thanked the South Korean Government for the partnership, stressing that his administration has invested hugely in education not only for literacy and numeracy but for actual human capital development, making citizens globally competitive in productivity.
The Governor added that his government would continue to do everything possible to ensure that the state remain a leading state in smart technology for education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of learning in the country.
“We appreciate Koika for the partnership with UBEC that birthed the smart schools in Ekiti State. Education is our main industry, we are one of the most educated states in the country and we also have an abiding duty to ensure that we sustain that prime place in the country.
“If you look at the six pillars of our administration, you will see human capital development in number three and since we came on board, we have been deliberate in our intervention in that sector because we believe that education owns the key to development and growth and there is no alternative to knowledge.
“We also believe strongly that our education strategy and policy must address literacy and numeracy and they must also respond to the needs of the society”, the Governor asserted.
Earlier in his remarks, the Head of Delegation and Koika Deputy Country Director, Mr Baik Ki-Hyyn, commended the Governor for his commitment to advancing education through innovative policies. He said Ekiti State had been exceptional among the six states chosen for the project which was launched in 2021.
The Country Director lauded the efforts of the state government in the education sector, noting that South Korean Government would be happy to embark on the second phase of the intervention under the Universal Basic Education Board in order to improve the capacity of the current schools as well as facilitate the reach to underserved and rural areas.
Top government officials at the meeting include the Chief of Staff, Mr Niyi Adebayo, Commissioner for Education, Dr (Mrs) Olabimpe Aderiye, Chairman, SUBEB, Prof Femi Akiwunmi, SUBEB Commissioner for Human Resources Management, Dr (Mrs) Olufunke Fajobi, SUBEB Commissioner for Project Management, Dr Kayode Adeoye, among others.