The Federal Government and Ondo State Government have renewed their resolve to reposition Nigeria’s education system through digital innovation, data management and professional teacher development.
Speaking at the opening of the 69th National Council on Education (NCE) meeting held at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa described education as the most powerful tool for social mobility, national unity and sustainable development.
The Governor said Ondo State’s long-standing legacy in education had continued from the free education era of the old Western Region to modern investments in digital learning, teacher welfare and school infrastructure.
He noted that the state’s policy direction remained anchored on quality and inclusivity, saying: “Our goal is to make education not just accessible, but meaningful and transformative. Every child in Ondo State deserves a fair chance at learning and success.”
Commending President Bola Tinubu for initiating reforms like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which has supported more than 624,000 students, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the move had bridged the gap between children of the rich and the poor.
He also hailed the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, for championing innovation and accountability in the sector.
The Governor described the meeting’s theme, Quality Education Data and Professionalisation of Teaching: Tools for Enhanced National Development, as timely, noting that it addresses major challenges facing Nigeria’s education system.
He stressed that quality education data remains the foundation for effective policy decisions, resource allocation, and performance tracking.
Governor Aiyedatiwa lamented the decline in the value of the teaching profession, calling for improved welfare, merit-based recognition, and continuous professional growth.
“We must restore dignity to the teaching profession. Teachers are the bedrock of national progress and when they are empowered, the nation prospers”, he added.
He said his administration is committed to free, functional, and affordable primary and secondary education, while expanding access through investments in digital infrastructure and inclusive learning.
According to him, under the OUR EASE education policy, over 2,100 teachers had been recruited and trained, annual examination fees paid for students, more than 75,000 textbooks distributed and classrooms and laboratories built or rehabilitated across senatorial districts. He also revealed that Ondo had paid all counterpart funds up to 2024 to access UBEC/SUBEB grants.
He further highlighted interventions such as bursaries, scholarships, digital skills centres, free school shuttle buses and boats, and regular payment of teachers’ salaries, pensions, and gratuities.
“We are building a future where no child will be left behind, where technology drives learning and where our schools become centres of excellence,” Governor Aiyedatiwa said.
While appreciating the NCE for granting Ondo the hosting right, the Governor expressed confidence that deliberations from the meeting would lead to transformative outcomes capable of reshaping Nigeria’s education system.
Delivering his address, Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, announced the approval of the National Education Repository and Databank (NERD) system, a digital platform for collecting and preserving academic records.
He said the National Credential Verification System would eliminate certificate fraud and enhance global recognition of Nigerian credentials.
Alausa disclosed that 21 states had uploaded data into the Digital Nigerian Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), which integrates with the National Identity Management Commission to track learners.
He added that commissioners and SUBEB chairmen would receive smart interactive boards for real-time monitoring.
The minister noted that the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria had been fully digitised to ease teacher registration and licence renewal, while UBEC had been directed to pay licence fees for primary and junior secondary school teachers. Over 60,000 digital tablets have also been distributed to teachers nationwide.
He stated that 4,900 classrooms had been built, 3,000 renovated, and 34 model schools established, reaching over 2.3 million learners.
He revealed that more than one million out-of-school children had been digitally mapped, with over 15,000 learners enrolled under the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), while 577,000 girls benefitted from scholarships under the AGILE initiative.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for hosting the event and praised Ebonyi and Delta States for meeting their hosting obligations.
She stated the importance of credible data and teacher professionalism, announcing that TRCN had launched a digital portal to streamline teacher licensing.
Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, in his welcome address, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to improve learning outcomes across the country.
He noted that under thr Aiyedatiwa administration, all school data had been migrated to digital platforms to enhance transparency, planning and governance.
Those in attendance at the event included the Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Philip; State Chairman of the APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, represented by the APC Central Chairman, Mr. Festus Aregbesola; the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, the Director-General of OSRC, Mr. Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, among other eminent personalities.
Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
November 5, 2025.