The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said education is the best tool to close the gap between poverty and wealth.
Sanwo-Olu who said this on Thursday, during the commissioning of four Lagos State school infrastructure projects revealed that the government had completed over 1,097 projects covering 970 schools across the state within the last two years.
The projects which were commissioned include a block of 18 classrooms with administrative offices, library, laboratory block, toilets, and borehole each at Igbobi Junior College, Fazil Omar Senior High School and Iwaya Onike Girls High School, Iwaya as well as a block of 18 classrooms at the Akintan Junior Grammar School.
“It gives me great pleasure to unveil some of our school infrastructural projects, which will improve the learning and teaching environment in our public schools.
“Education is still the most potent tool of empowerment and one of the most tested ways to close the gap between poverty and wealth; it provides individuals with the necessary knowledge and skillset to actualise their potential and maximise opportunities in life.
“In order to accelerate our children’s access to world-class pedagogical learning, we have ensured that our children have access to quality education irrespective of their location.
He also said his administration’s intervention in the education sector had begun to yield positive results.
Also, the commissioner for education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, said the promise of the governor to focus on education as a major pillar in the administration’s THEMES agenda had been achieved within the two years period of the present administration.
She said, “The administration has demonstrated commitment to fulfilling the promises with such indices as yearly increase in budgetary allocation; completion of all outstanding projects to the highest possible standards; investing in new schools; construction of new school buildings and upgrade of existing ones; and integrating technology into teaching and learning processes.’’
“It is indeed wonderful to see that these promises are being kept. In less than two years, the state has met every one of these promises to a significant extent.