Ojo LGA seeks to improve primary schoolinfrastructure

Over-crowded classrooms. Leaking roofs. Schools
with broken fences. Schools with no fences.
Pictures whose unveiling could be the nightmare of
any education district in Nigeria. But for Ojo Local
Government Area of Lagos state, these pictures,
coupled with over a thousand words were used as
tools at the recently held education summit on
Public Private Partnership; Tools to secure a better
learning environment for the primary school
students of the area.
According to the education secretary of the district,
Mr. Tolani Sule, the essence of the summit was to
"bring together all stakeholders-public, private,
non-governmental organisations, churches,
mosques etc- to see what is going on in the
educational system here, and how we can improve
it and make it better."
Sule said that there is a wide disparity between the
required infrastructure and the available
infrastructure to cater for primary school students
in the area. "The required furniture for the 33,764
pupils in our 52 schools is 14, 884 desks and
chairs, but we have only about 7, 472 available.
Only about 20 of these schools have good toilets,
and only about 12 are well fenced."
An overcrowded classroom in Ojo LGA
The former Deputy Governor of lagos State who
also doubled as Commissioner for Education, Mrs.
Sarah Adebisi Sosan chaired the occasion as
various speakers sought to proffer solutions to the
situation.
The state Commissioner for Rural Development,
Hon. C.O Ojelabi called on individuals and
organisations to practise foundation-based and
faith- based, public-private partnership (PPP) as
well as the adopt-a-school programme and engage
in the school capacity-building initiative.
Dr. Danoye Laguda, a lecturer at the Lagos State
University advised the district to seek private
intervention from the Alaba Market Community.
He also added that "Contractors should be willing
to give back from what they earn. For example, if
they have been contracted to build a specific
number of classrooms, they can build an additional
number on their own bill. There should be a bye law
supporting this."
Laguda also called on the government to provide
incentives for those who are willing to support the
cause, as well as proper maintenance by the royal
fathers.
Lanre Ogunyemi, a member of the Lagos State
House of Assembly said that public confidence in
public primary schools is very low. "How many
political office holders or even teachers have
children in these schools? Community leaders must
seek the support of more privileged members of
the society, the Local Government should generate
a database of all those that can be approached to
salvage the situation."
Sosan, however, assured all who are willing to
support the local government of transparency and
integrity. "The money in the hands of the
government cannot meet all these needs. That is
why we are enjoining the support of all
stakeholders. What we did when I was in office was
to lay our challenges on the table and solicit
support. We allowed them to do what they wanted
and only ensured through monitoring that they
met our specifications."