SIR: It was Barack Obama, former president of the United States of America who said, “if we are serious about building an economy that lasts, we have to get serious about education. We are going to have to pick up our game and raise our standard”.

It is incontrovertible that education is one of the keys to escaping poverty. It enables upward socio-economic mobility. Education frees one from despondency and provides access to unlimited possibilities. In governance, a country with large population of her citizens as educated is easier to govern.

One of the states in Nigeria that regards education as an industry is Ogun State.

In terms of tertiary education, available data from the National Universities Commission (NUC), show that out of the total number of 219 made up of federal, states, and private universities in the country, 16 are domiciled in Ogun State.

The state in the last three and a half years, under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun, has made significant progress towards increasing access to education and this can be seen in the upward trend in enrolment rate at all levels.

Just recently at this year’s Teacher’s Day celebration held in Abuja, the state won the overall winner- Best Public Primary School category for 2022 President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Awards. The event which took place in Abuja, saw St. Michael’s African Church Primary School 1, Ota, adjudged the best Public Primary School with an 18 seater JAC bus as the star prize.

Also two teachers from the State, Owolabi Paul Adelana of Ijebu Muslim College (Jnr.), Ijebu-Ode won the second best teacher in the public schools category, his counterpart from City of Knowledge Academy, Odogbolu, Tajudeen Ajayi Ayantola won award of the best private school teacher in the country.

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Governor Abiodun who joined teachers to celebrate their day in Abeokuta, also rewarded teachers, school administrators and schools that have excelled in academics with houses and cash gifts.

Tajudeen Odufeso from Isara Secondary School, Isara- Remo, was given a two bedroom bungalow as the Best Teacher in Public Senior Secondary Schools, while Adelana Owolabi and Orebanjo Olusesan from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior) and Early Education Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, got N2m and N1.5m for emerging Best Teachers in Public Junior Secondary Schools and Public Primary Schools, respectively.

For Fagbamila Olatunbosun Okeneye from Omo Edumare Model Nursery and Primary School, Ago-Iwoye, hard work paid off handsomely as he carted home a sum of N1m as the Best Administrator in the Public Primary Schools category.

In the school category, Remo Divisional High School (Senior), Sagamu and St. Michael’s African Church School 1, Ota, won Best Public Secondary School (Senior) and Best Public Primary School, respectively.

Giving credence to the efforts of the government which led to the award, Prince Isiyemi Adeniji, Head Teacher, St. Micheal Anglican Church primary school 1, Ota, said “what excels us from other schools in the state and the country is what this present administration has been doing in the school. I want to appreciate our amiable governor for all that he has been doing which gave us this opportunity. When the Federal Ministry of Education came, we made them to know that the school is well located, it has structures like a mini stadium and we facilities like library, computer laboratory, science laboratory, skill acquisition room and other things”.

To Ogun State people, winning according to Vince Lombardi, an American football coach “is not a sometimes thing; it is an all the time thing. You don’t win in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit”.

Ogun State is sure reaping good dividends for its investment in education sector as seen in the latest awards. Hollywood actor, Denzel Washington said, “man gives award, but God gives rewards”. The rewards for the state I believe, will be in the future when the students will graduate from the state’s institutions and become leaders in their chosen endeavours.

• Elijah Udofia, Laderin, Abeokuta.