Oyo Provides Elementary and Secondary Students With Textbooks, School Bags, and Sandals.
The 2024 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Intervention program was launched in Ibadan by the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission.
The ceremony, which took place on Friday at OYOSUBEB in Agodi, Ibadan, signaled the start of a massive supply of learning aids, core textbooks, and other teaching resources to public primary and junior secondary schools throughout the state.
OYOSUBEB Chairman, Dr. Nureni Adeniran spoke at the event and stated that the 2024 intervention in Oyo State included the distribution of thousands of learning materials and textbooks for core subjects, including 15,515 copies of Primary English books 1–3, 19,289 copies of Primary Mathematics books 1, 2 and 3, and 15,111 copies of Nursery English books 1, 2, and 3.
Moreover, 40,000 six-year Continuous Assessment Cards (made by OYOSUBEB) were distributed, along with 6,673 copies of Nursery Mathematics Books 1, 2, and 3, 2,500 copies of Science and Technology Books 1–3, 6,675 school bags, 6,675 pairs of sandals, 6,675 exercise books, 6,675 pencils, and 6,000 pairs of BESDA sandals.
Adeniran urged head teachers, principals, and education managers to ensure strict accountability and appropriate utilization, emphasizing that the materials were instructional resources intended to improve learning outcomes and enhance instructional quality.
“These materials are for active classroom use, not storage,” he stated. “Better learning outcomes and increased academic performance will serve as indicators of their influence.”
Dr. Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, stated earlier that the distribution went beyond the provision of materials, characterizing it as a reaffirmation of hope and a renewed dedication to providing every Nigerian child with a basic education that is inclusive, equitable, and of high quality.
Dr. Garba stated that the intervention was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda, which emphasizes education as a foundation for national development through strong literacy, numeracy, values, and basic skill acquisition, as represented by Mrs. Beatrice Okei, Zonal Director, UBEC.
She states that UBEC’s statutory mandate includes establishing and overseeing minimum standards, promoting access, equity, quality, transparency, and accountability, as well as coordinating the implementation of the Universal Basic Education program across the country and providing intervention funds to states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In her remarks, she revealed that UBEC is providing 15 million school bags, sandals, and writing supplies nationwide in an effort to alleviate the financial strain on low-income families and promote school enrollment and retention. This is part of an effort to further reduce the number of children who are not attending school.
The federal and state governments were collaborating to provide inclusive and high-quality basic education, according to Dr. Garba, who called the program collaborative governance in action.
Dr. Olukemi Adeosun, a member of the SUBEB Executive Board, said in her remarks that the distribution was a big step in reorienting basic education in the state. She said that having access to pertinent textbooks would help students prepare for classes and also relieve teachers of some of their workload.
Comrade Raji Oladimeji, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, praised the leadership of SUBEB and the Oyo State government for maintaining advancements in teacher welfare, recruitment, and infrastructure. He urged educators and students to use the resources wisely.
