Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday reiterated his administration’s commitment to the education sector, saying his government is committed to providing unparalleled investments, funding and infrastructure to enhance the sector.
He disclosed that Lagos State Government is working in partnership with TeachForNigeria to build a sustainable five-year programme to domesticate the initiative in Lagos State as the TeachForLagos project.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on Monday at the “TeachForNigeria: A Day with Mr. Governor” held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, the State capital.
The event, which is part of activities marking the International Day of Education with the Theme: ‘Learning for Lasting Peace’ had in attendance, members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries, top government officials, teachers, pupils and students from various public schools and other key stakeholders in the education sector.
Speaking during the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu said 275 Fellows have been recruited since 2020 into the teaching profession through the TeachForNigera initiative across the State by his administration in a bid to ensure that no child is left behind in the education.
TeachForNigeria is a non-profit organisation focused on developing leaders across the nation who are committed to ending educational inequity. The initiative is in partnership with the Lagos State Government to promote excellent education and leadership in the state with TeachForNigeria Fellows who are mostly young graduates teaching different core subjects in 205 schools in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu during an interactive with Fellows of TeachForNigeria, praised their commitment and contributions to some of the successes achieved by the state locally and internationally in the education sector.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of TeachForNigeria, Folawe Omikunle noted that over the next 10 years, the initiative is expected to impact one million children across the country.
She said: “This occasion is not merely a celebration; it is a reflection on the transformative journey that we have collectively taken to address educational challenges in Nigeria particularly in Lagos State. In 2020, we partnered with the Lagos State Government to recruit 200 Fellows through a pilot programme. Between 2021 and 2022, 21 and 60 additional Fellows were recruited and placed in selected schools.
“Since this partnership in 2020, we have seen significant year-on-year academic learning gains across all classrooms where our fellows have been placed. The impact of our Fellows is not just visible in numbers; it is transformative.
“In the 2021/2022 school year alone, we witnessed remarkable progress in secondary school classrooms. Mathematics proficiency increased from 46 percent to 61 percent, English proficiency from 53 percent to 68 percent, and Basic Science proficiency skyrocketed from 26 percent to an impressive 82 percent. These achievements stand as a testament to the unwavering dedication and effectiveness of our Fellows.
“As we reflect and celebrate the International Day of Education, I come before you with a sense of accomplishment but also with a commitment to doing more. Looking ahead, we envision an ambitious, and even more impactful future, to have built a network of over 20,000 leaders across all geopolitical zones in Nigeria in partnership with local communities to impact at least one million students each year, in Nigeria.
“We don’t see this vision without the Lagos State Government and our hope is to ensure that at least 10 percent of these 20,000 leaders are placed in Lagos State. As we commemorate this International Day of Education, I would like to say a big thank you to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the entire Lagos State Government. Today, let us rededicate ourselves to collaborating and working in true partnership to ensure that no child in Lagos State is left behind.”