The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Opon Imo

  • Osun Completes Redistribution of Opon Imo For New Academic Year

    Osun Completes Redistribution of Opon Imo For New Academic Year

    •We had no money to buy textbooks before Opon Imo – Students

    We have been asked to buy textbooks so as to prepare for the coming Senior WAEC but most of us have not been able to do that because of unavailability of money. Many of us cannot afford the textbooks and have been wondering how to pass the fast approaching exams.”

    These were the words of Adeleke Busayo, a final year student of Adventist Government High School in Ede, Osun State as she receives her “Opon Imo” tablet of knowledge.

    In a similar vein, the Head Girl of the school, Oluwatuye Mary buttressed what Busayo said. She stated that most of the students have not been able to afford the needed textbooks for their coming exams, adding that the State Government under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, has lifted an over-weighting burden through the Opon Imo project.

    “I feel so excited, we have been patiently waiting for the Opon Imo since the first day our principal told us about it. I am so happy to get the Opon Imo finally because we have been told to buy textbooks but not all could afford them. Now that the Opon Imo is here, embedded with several textbooks and past questions, the burden of having to buy textbooks has been lifted.

    “We are immensely grateful to the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we really appreciate this privilege and we promise to use it judiciously. Aregbesola has fulfilled his promise with the people of Osun on Education Improvement and we promise to study well and make him proud.” Mary added.

    The Opon Imo, tablet of knowledge is an initiative which started in 2013.This initiative, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, covers 17 Core Subjects with over 5 Extra Curricula Subjects for Senior Secondary 1, 2 & 3 levels. The Tablet contains over 56 textbooks , 900 minutes of virtual classoom lessons and 1000s of Practice Questions for WAEC and JAMB.

    In addition to aiding preparation for School Leaving Examinations, the introduction of the tool is expected to aid adoption of information communication technology (ICT) skills among students in the State.

    Back in 2013 when the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led Government of launched Opon Imo, many were skeptical about its sustainability and its effectiveness in combating the low rate of student performance, especially for secondary school students writing final year West Africa Senior School Certificate but four years down the line, the Opon Imo has proven its worth.

    Apart from aiding students in their exams and guaranteeing their success if properly used, the Opon Imo has also relieved parents the burden of having to buy textbooks especially in this current economy situation.

    As usual, the State government has begun the redistribution of e-learning computer tablets for the 2017/2018 academic session to students in the final year in the state public schools.

    The redistribution of the tablets began in an informal ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, as the students and teachers were excited to receive the device again.

    Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, the Principal of the school, Mrs Folorunsho Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education infrastructure in the state.

    Also the Administrator of Adventist Government High School, Mrs Uche Agbaso, said the distribution of the Opon Imo is an extra mile on the part of the Governor to enhance better performance of the students.

    In her remarks too, the vice principal administration, Mrs A A Oyewole, lauded Aregbesola for the initiative and urged the students to make positive use of the tablets.

    Speaking on the nitty gritty of the programme, the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Kola Young explained that, “The government is doing its best to distribute to students a technological device, it is a marriage of technology and creativity, we are tying to make all our children have access to technology, as you can see, this device is being distributed to all SS3 students, the purpose is to help them in passing their exams and it has all their subjects textbooks, it has past questions and answers, it’s a fantastic digital learning tool, it’s a study note, so to say.

    “Our Government deem it fit to give our children the best and we have started again this year, we are going round the 120 schools we have in the state now.”

    About the controversy surrounding the Opon Imo, Young explained that, “As you know Opon Imo has won an award internationally, we won an award four years ago. As far as controversy is concerned, we are unmoved, we are not shaking. It is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that Opon Imo has come  to stay. It is a fantastic project and we have not ceased in distributing it four years running now. The teachers are there, the principals are there, the students are there, the parents are there and they will give you wonderful testimonies as to what this government has done through Opon Imo so criticism with objective, we will take it but without objective, we will struck it out.”

     

     

  • Osun begins distribution of Opon-Imo in public schools

    Osun begins distribution of Opon-Imo in public schools

    The Osun State government has begun the distribution of e-learning computer tablets for the 2017/2018 academic session to final year pupils in the state’s public schools.

    The distribution of the tablets started at an informal ceremony at Osogbo Government High School in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The pupils and teachers were excited to receive the device again.

    Thirty thousand units of the tablets will be given to final year pupils ahead of writing their Senior Secondary School Examinations (SSCE), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examinations.

    Their teachers across the state will also get the device.

    The device, nicknamed Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge), was introduced by the Rauf Aregbesola administration in 2013 as a first-of-its-kind standalone e-learning tablet to aid learning among secondary school pupils in the state.

    The beneficiaries have been final year pupils across the state.

    Since its introduction in 2013, it has served four sets of final year pupils in Osun public schools.

    Out of the intended 150,000 tablets, 50,000 were produced and distributed every session to final year pupils and their teachers.

    At the inaugural ceremony at Osogbo Government High School in Osogbo, the school’s head teacher, Mrs Folorunsho Olubisi Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education infrastructure.

    She noted that since its invention, the device had brought about significant improvement in teaching and learning in the public schools.

    The head teacher said its introduction in the last four years had redefined the education system as well set a new standard and direction for purposeful education in Osun State.

    Mrs Ladapo said: “To us as teachers and mothers, the introduction of Opon-Imo has not only revolutionised the Education sector but has also eased teaching and learning, particularly for outgoing pupils.

    “This device, as we all know, has been assessed and adjudged to be a very useful education tool and has serious impact in boosting mental capacity of pupils who may not necessarily require printed materials.

    “As an electronic device, we have seen the level of improvement which the innovation has brought on the results of our students in both internal and external examinations.

    “We have equally experienced the great impact that this technological initiative has on the reading culture among the students.”

    Lauding Aregbesola’s education revolution in the state, the head teacher said the state government was doing the best in the Education sector.

     

  • Osun pupils get 23,100 Opon Imo

    Osun pupils get 23,100 Opon Imo

    Not less than 23,000 units of Opon Imo (tablet of knowledge) have been distributed to pupils in Osun State-owned schools, Commissioner for Special Duties Ajibola Bashiru has said.

    Bashiru said the customised computer tablet was a critical part of the education revolution of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    He said the delay in the supply of the remaining tablets was caused by the need to reconfigure them.

    The commissioner said the tablets were produced through a partnership between the state and a Chinese firm.

    He said the partnership would also lead to the production of durable and affordable telephone handsets at the state’s Technology Village.

    Bashiru said: “We are doing this for technological transfer because it would not be economic to import that magnitude of devices from abroad. So, why not have the manufacturing company here? As we speak, the company is on ground and the manufacturing and installation of the software of this product is being done in Ilesa.

    “The company will meet the telephone demands of Nigerians at a cheaper rate. Over 5,000 indigenes have been trained on the manufacturing of telecommunication devices and some of have been sent to Ghana for further training.”

    He said the administration recruited about 7,350 teachers, who were trained to improve learning in public schools.

    Bashiru said: “When the Aregbesola administration assumed office, we brainstormed on how to jump start the non-existent economy, because the allocation that accrues to the state from the Federation Account was not enough to pay salary. That was why we got the Chinese firm to produce the computer tablets here and established a garment factory to produce school uniforms in the state.”

     

     

  • Tablet of knowledge

    Tablet of knowledge

    Ifeoluwa Odetayo, a secondary school student in Osun State in South West Nigeria now has something he treasures as much as his cell phone.  It is the Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge), a hand-held computer tablet pre-loaded with educational resources that can ease her study.

    Though the Opon Imo was only officially launched by the state government about two weeks ago, Ifeoluwa has had it for more than two months now, during which he has come to value it more than his physical textbooks.

    “I treat it the way I treat my own phone.  I treat it with a lot of respect,” said the pupil of Ilesa Grammar School, in an interview with The Nation at the launch.

    Ifeoluwa is one of the 150,000 SS1 and SS2 pupils that the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration is providing with the tablet in its bid to digitalise education as well as provide public school pupils with all the relevant textbooks and other materials to enhance performance in school and national examinations.

    The tablet features an e-library containing 63 e-books – 57 covering the 17 subjects examined by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) – and six others including a bible, dictionary, history of the Yorubas, Opon Ifa, and a book on enterprise education.

    It also features a virtual classroom where the pupils can take tutorials; an integrated test zone, where they can access more than 40,000 past questions for the SSCE and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations; and educational games like chess, scrabble and others that can develop their intellect and critical thinking skills.

    With all these content packaged into the device that weighs just 1.1kg, 10 times less than the normal secondary school Physics textbooks, Aregbesola said the state is relieving the pupils of backache from carrying so many textbooks; the parents of the financial burden of buying textbooks for their wards, and saving the government at least N50 billion it would have needed to provide such rich content in hard copies.

    It is no wonder Ifeoluwa handles the device like a treasured possession so nothing happens to it.

    “I charge it all the time.  When I am not at home, I keep it in its box,” he added.

    Ifeoluwa said he finds using the tablet to study more interesting than his hard copy textbooks.

    “I find it very useful – more than my textbooks.  To be sincere, when one is reading textbooks one will get bored.  This is more interesting.  It is more equipped than our textbooks,” he said.

    Ifeoluwa’s classmate, Temitope Alake, is already implementing a personal timetable using his tablet.  He said he gets more knowledge from the device.

    “I read from 5am to 6.30am in the mornings, and then I also read in the afternoons.  For today, I have English and Biology on my timetable.  I read English in the morning; in the afternoon, I will read Biology.  The tablet gives me more knowledge,” he said.

    The tablet has replaced hard copy textbooks at Ilesa Grammar School.  Ifeoluwa and Temitope said teachers come to the classroom with their own and just instruct the pupils to open to specific areas.

    “We use it in the classroom.  All the teachers have it so they use it to teach us.  Every student just clicks on the page the teacher calls and read,” Ifeoluwa said.

    With the use of the tablets in schools, the Osun State Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, expects a reversal in the abysmally poor performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations from next year.

    Mrs Yomi Mohammed, Head of Science Department at Ilesa Grammar School shares her hopes.  Already, she has noticed her pupils are more attentive.  She added that the tablet has equipped them with the relevant textbooks they needed, unlike before when not all of them had textbooks.

    “They have been using it very well.  It enables them to improve in their education because they have the different textbooks they need for the sciences.  And after each topic, they have questions they can answer on their own,” she said.

    However, the pupils are urging the government to decode some of the tablets as it is denying them of enjoying all its features.  For instance, Ifeoluwa said because his tablet has been fully decoded, he can have access to the virtual classroom, view diagrams on his textbooks and take mock examinations in the integrated test zone.  Not so for Temitope.  He said he does not enjoy all the features because when he gets to certain environments, the device asks for a code he does not have.

    “Some of us have this problem.  The government should decode all the tablets so we can enjoy everything available,” he said.

    The government has assured it has taken care of durability and power issues.  Aregbesola said the tablet battery can last up to eight hours between recharges, while the device has been reinforced to survive rough handling by the young ones.

  • Welcome, Opon-Imo; goodbye, Igba Aimo

    As Osun people take ‘Tablet of Knowledge’, they should say ‘never  again’ to PDP-type ignorance

    Even Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo would have turned in his grave on June 3, when Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State presented ‘Opon-Imo’, the magic computer tablet that his administration has been working on for quite some time, to the world, at a well attended ceremony in Ilesha, Osun State. Not a few persons have acknowledged, and rightly too, that since the introduction of free education in the defunct Western Region by the late sage, Chief Awolowo in 1955, ‘Opon- Imo’ remains the second most revolutionary project in education, not just in the geo-political axis, but nationwide.

    The point is that only the mischievous will see an elephant and say it seems they just saw something; when we see an elephant, we should say so. ‘Opon-Imo’ is a milestone. That explained why Nigeria literally stood still for Aregbesola when he launched the computer tablet. The array of personalities that graced the event cut across ethnic, political and religious divides, which is something to cheer in a country where politics is being introduced into virtually everything, and in the most cynical, if not outright damaging manner. This was something that was killed in the June 12, 1993 presidential election (that would be exactly 20 years on Wednesday), but which was annulled by reactionary elements in the country.

    The Aregbesola administration has no choice but to be creative in its handling of education in the state, if it must live to its billing as a progressive government. The government inherited a situation where only about three percent of secondary school leavers in the state had the requisite pass for admission into tertiary institutions. This was an unusual situation in a south-western state which called for an unusual answer. The government quickly held a summit of education stakeholders which looked into the state of education in the state and made far-reaching recommendations. Needless to say that ‘Opon-Imo’ is one of the major responses by the government in tackling the problem.

    So, what is ‘Opon-Imo’? I do not know whether it has a parallel in the world, but I know it is novel in the country, at least no government in the federation, whether federal, state or local has done such a thing. According to Aregbesola, “It is a virtual classroom containing 63 e-books covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted by the West AfThe Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on ethics and life’. This section also contains an average of 16 chapters per subject and 823 chapters in all, with about 900 minutes or 15 hours of audio voiceovers”.

    Aregbesola added, “In the integrated test zone of the device, there are more than 40,000 JAMB and WAEC practice questions and answers dating back to about 20 years. It also contains mock tests in more than 51 subject areas, which approximates to 1,220 chapters, with roughly 29,000 questions referencing about 825 images”.

    In fact, there is so much to say for this computer tablet. But I would not dwell much on that because so many people have discussed these in some details. Suffice it to say that power supply is not a problem for those who might want to look at that aspect of our national life. Already, the UN organisation has said it would adopt ‘Opon-Imo’ as one of the major tools of its West African regional harmonisation efforts in education. This, as well as how ‘Opon-Imo’ affect governance is my concern. A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.

    But shouldn’t charity begin at home? You can be sure it won’t, at least not when the issue has to do with progress; and especially so that the charity is coming from an opposition political party. It is instructive that this all-important computer tablet was launched at a time the country’s ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was busy doing nothing, or at best going after some of its leading lights, celebrating and covering its laggards with the ubiquitous ‘federal might’ that the party’s leadership and the presidency keep demystifying by the day with their actions and utterances.

    Rather than bring innovativeness into governance, the ruling party has continued business as usual. The other time we were debating how much to spend on the vice president’s lodge. At a time when the government should be busy dreaming dreams for national development, the whole machinery of government was deployed to ensure the government’s favoured candidate won the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) election. Just last Thursday, the PDP suspended another governor (in line with my prediction last Sunday that the party would deal with governors who refused to team up with it in voting for its failed candidate in the NGF election, Jonah Jang). We should expect more of such sanctions over frivolous matters, including governors being nailed over the inability of the party’s leaders to successfully perform their conjugal responsibility on bed, should that suddenly happen. And this is the attitude that the party would carry to 2015 and still expect to win the election.

    If indeed knowledge is power, then one can start imagining what the impact of ‘Opon-Imo’ would be on educational performance in Osun state in the next few years. And, for the benefit of many of our youths who mistake Obafemi Martins for Chief Awolowo due to our shambolic educational curriculum, it is important to stress that what is happening, especially in the south-western part of the country today is not novel to the region; they have their roots in the past. The former Western Region (now Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo states) was the pace setter under Chief Awolowo’s premiership. The region has many firsts to its credit: the first skyscraper in the country (Cocoa House); the first region to implement free education; the first stadium in West Africa (Liberty Stadium, Ibadan; the first television station (WNTV) in Africa (forget the attempt by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the ’80s to turn history on its head by claiming that the first TV station in Africa was established in Libya). We still have such people in the country today who would want to rewrite our unfolding history in their own image rather than in the image in which it occurred.

    If indeed Victor Huho is correct that ‘He who opens a school door, closes a prison’, then we can imagine how many prisons the Aregbesola administration must have succeeded in closing with its giant strides in the educational sector in Osun State. ‘Opon-Imo’ must necessarily remind one of the years of the locust that the PDP rule in Osun was. With ‘Opon-Imo’, ‘Igba aimo’ (the time of ignorance) must have been over in Osun; it must never return. Osun people are not dogs that will always return to their vomit. This, the people will confirm when they go to the polls next year to retain their governor. Goodbye to jati jati.

  • Welcome, Opon-Imo; goodbye, Igba Aimo

    Welcome, Opon-Imo; goodbye, Igba Aimo

    As Osun people take ‘Tablet of Knowledge’, they should say ‘never again’ to PDP-type ignorance

    Even Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo would have turned in his grave on June 3, when Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State presented ‘Opon-Imo’, the magic computer tablet that his administration has been working on for quite some time, to the world, at a well attended ceremony in Ilesha, Osun State. Not a few persons have acknowledged, and rightly too, that since the introduction of free education in the defunct Western Region by the late sage, Chief Awolowo in 1955, ‘Opon- Imo’ remains the second most revolutionary project in education, not just in the geo-political axis, but nationwide.

    The point is that only the mischievous will see an elephant and say it seems they just saw something; when we see an elephant, we should say so. ‘Opon-Imo’ is a milestone. That explained why Nigeria literally stood still for Aregbesola when he launched the computer tablet. The array of personalities that graced the event cut across ethnic, political and religious divides, which is something to cheer in a country where politics is being introduced into virtually everything, and in the most cynical, if not outright damaging manner. This was something that was killed in the June 12, 1993 presidential election (that would be exactly 20 years on Wednesday), but which was annulled by reactionary elements in the country.

    The Aregbesola administration has no choice but to be creative in its handling of education in the state, if it must live to its billing as a progressive government. The government inherited a situation where only about three percent of secondary school leavers in the state had the requisite pass for admission into tertiary institutions. This was an unusual situation in a south-western state which called for an unusual answer. The government quickly held a summit of education stakeholders which looked into the state of education in the state and made far-reaching recommendations. Needless to say that ‘Opon-Imo’ is one of the major responses by the government in tackling the problem.

    So, what is ‘Opon-Imo’? I do not know whether it has a parallel in the world, but I know it is novel in the country, at least no government in the federation, whether federal, state or local has done such a thing. According to Aregbesola, “It is a virtual classroom containing 63 e-books covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted by the West AfThe Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on ethics and life’. This section also contains an average of 16 chapters per subject and 823 chapters in all, with about 900 minutes or 15 hours of audio voiceovers”.

    Aregbesola added, “In the integrated test zone of the device, there are more than 40,000 JAMB and WAEC practice questions and answers dating back to about 20 years. It also contains mock tests in more than 51 subject areas, which approximates to 1,220 chapters, with roughly 29,000 questions referencing about 825 images”.

    In fact, there is so much to say for this computer tablet. But I would not dwell much on that because so many people have discussed these in some details. Suffice it to say that power supply is not a problem for those who might want to look at that aspect of our national life. Already, the UN organisation has said it would adopt ‘Opon-Imo’ as one of the major tools of its West African regional harmonisation efforts in education. This, as well as how ‘Opon-Imo’ affect governance is my concern. A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.

    But shouldn’t charity begin at home? You can be sure it won’t, at least not when the issue has to do with progress; and especially so that the charity is coming from an opposition political party. It is instructive that this all-important computer tablet was launched at a time the country’s ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was busy doing nothing, or at best going after some of its leading lights, celebrating and covering its laggards with the ubiquitous ‘federal might’ that the party’s leadership and the presidency keep demystifying by the day with their actions and utterances.

    Rather than bring innovativeness into governance, the ruling party has continued business as usual. The other time we were debating how much to spend on the vice president’s lodge. At a time when the government should be busy dreaming dreams for national development, the whole machinery of government was deployed to ensure the government’s favoured candidate won the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) election. Just last Thursday, the PDP suspended another governor (in line with my prediction last Sunday that the party would deal with governors who refused to team up with it in voting for its failed candidate in the NGF election, Jonah Jang). We should expect more of such sanctions over frivolous matters, including governors being nailed over the inability of the party’s leaders to successfully perform their conjugal responsibility on bed, should that suddenly happen. And this is the attitude that the party would carry to 2015 and still expect to win the election.

    If indeed knowledge is power, then one can start imagining what the impact of ‘Opon-Imo’ would be on educational performance in Osun state in the next few years. And, for the benefit of many of our youths who mistake Obafemi Martins for Chief Awolowo due to our shambolic educational curriculum, it is important to stress that what is happening, especially in the south-western part of the country today is not novel to the region; they have their roots in the past. The former Western Region (now Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo states) was the pace setter under Chief Awolowo’s premiership. The region has many firsts to its credit: the first skyscraper in the country (Cocoa House); the first region to implement free education; the first stadium in West Africa (Liberty Stadium, Ibadan; the first television station (WNTV) in Africa (forget the attempt by the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the ’80s to turn history on its head by claiming that the first TV station in Africa was established in Libya). We still have such people in the country today who would want to rewrite our unfolding history in their own image rather than in the image in which it occurred.

    If indeed Victor Huho is correct that ‘He who opens a school door, closes a prison’, then we can imagine how many prisons the Aregbesola administration must have succeeded in closing with its giant strides in the educational sector in Osun State. ‘Opon-Imo’ must necessarily remind one of the years of the locust that the PDP rule in Osun was. With ‘Opon-Imo’, ‘Igba aimo’ (the time of ignorance) must have been over in Osun; it must never return. Osun people are not dogs that will always return to their vomit. This, the people will confirm when they go to the polls next year to retain their governor. Goodbye to jati jati.

  • Opon Imo, a quantum leap for education, says Tinubu

    Opon Imo, a quantum leap for education, says Tinubu

    Let the bookmakers take note, let the so-called experts learn from the ordinary people and let the historians write that history is being made in Osun this very day. The power of e-learning and its resultant benefits now wait at the fingertips of our children. This was not the result of a gift from a stranger or from accident. This fine development is the harvest of innovation, hard work and the commitment to public education and enlightenment of our children by the governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his excellent team. On behalf of the children and their parents, I thank the governor for opening this important portal of knowledge to our youngest ones.

    The introduction of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, in Education and the provision of Opon-Imo (Computer Tablets) for students in the public Senior Secondary Schools in the state is groundbreaking and signposts the dynamic future of tertiary education in the state and beyond.As a result of this important initiative, school children hitherto separated from the global stream of information and knowledge, are now connected with and to the world by virtue of “opon Imo.”

    By investing in this modern tool of knowledge and adapting it to local needs so that our children may more easily benefit, Governor Aregbesola and his administration have improved our educational resources by a bold quantum leap. Things that once were outside the grasp of our system to teach or learn are now in the hands of both teachers and students. Knowledge we would have struggled for months or years to acquire is now available in minutes and seconds. What the governor has done is revolutionary and beneficial. It is a symbol of the positive benefits of progressive governance commitment to the welfare of the people and to the future of our children.

    The governor did not do this to attract accolades. He did this because it was the right thing to do. He did this not for himself but for posterity. In so doing, he and his team have acted boldly to secure both the present and future educational well-being of the children of Osun.

    With “Opon Imo” and other programs, we are witnessing the silent revolution that reached this state once Governor Aregebsola took the reigns of governance from those who had previously abused them to work only for their own selfish benefit. Today, Osun is alive as if a new dawn has come to it. The state now has an air of progress, justice and equity. Improvement and development now mark this state. Ditto for other Action Congress of Nigeria States. From Lagos to Edo, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun states the imapact of good governance is being felt.

    We surely live in a world of numerous possibilities in which new tools, ideas and technology are being fashioned to do things more effectively than before. Perhaps, the most astounding development in the past decade or so has been the opening of frontiers for acquiring knowledge. Since the advent of the computer technology, the creation of the cyber space and the migration of content from multiple disciplines of knowledge, the ability to educate and learn have benefited greatly but only for those governments and individuals with the wisdom to take advantage of these breakthroughs. The trend in ICT offer better opportunities for learning and leaders must appropriate them to move their societies forward

    Recognising the critical role the Internet plays in knowledge acquisition, the United Nations has invested resources to produce the famous low cost lap tops for school children in developing countries, particularly Africa.

    Opon Imo is our answer to conquering the diseases of illiteracy and the lack of knowledge. It is a bold, courageous step toward engendering e-learning and to place Osun on the map of states leading the way in this nation and in africa with regard to modernizing public education. What Osun is doing all other states should and must do. It is nothing short of unlocking the doors of knowledge to our youth. And a knowledgeable nation eventually becomes a prosperous, stable and just one.

    The significance of what we witness today cannot be drowned by the blustering of our political detractors. Their vision can be described in one word: Empty. We have seen it and there is nothing to it.

    Rather, this milestone will be recorded as a classic example of how one visionary leader brought the world to his people and his people to the world. How he empowered them with knowledge, validating the maxim that knowledge with power.

    The youth and children who benefit from this tool will someday represent us. They will become leader in business, banks and boardrooms, they will be scientists and engineers, and they will learn to fly our air crafts, run government, teach in our universities and build the nation. The seed for that bright future is being sown. We all have a responsibility to water it and watch it grow into a bountiful harvest.

    I thank you for listening.

    A speech by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the launch of the Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) by the Osun State government at the Zenababs Half Moon Hotel and Resort, in Ilesa, Osun State on Tuesday, June 3, 2013.

  • Osun ACN chair hails Aregbesola on Opon Imo

    •Group lauds governor’s projects

    The Acting Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, has congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his team on the successful inauguration of the Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge.)

    He said Aregbesola’s efforts to make life more meaningful for the people through his “laudable” initiatives were second to none.

    In a statement, Adebiyi described the governor as a “go getter”, whose initiatives were geared towards the state’s development.

    He said the caliber of dignitaries at the inauguration of the Opon Imo in Ilesa, such as House of Representatives’ Speaker Aminu Tambuwal; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; ACN National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), among others, showed that Osun had set the pace for quality education in Africa.

    Adebiyi said Aregbesola’s initiatives have made teaching and learning easier.

    He urged the people to support Aregbesola to enable him continue his “good work” beyond 2014.

    A socio-political group in the ACN, the Omoluabi Progressive Association (OPA), also hailed the governor on the “massive developmental projects going on across the state”.

    OPA, which comprises young professionals in the state, endorsed Aregbesola for a second term.

    In a statement by its coordinator, Mr. Lekan Odediran, the group said Opon Imo has digitalised education in Osun.

    It hailed the governor and members of the state executive council for “equipping youths to stand tall among their peers worldwide”.

    OPA said: “Ogbeni has again placed Osun on the world map through his wisdom, financial re-engineering skills and creativity. As a visionary leader, the governor has, in 30 months, transformed Osun, despite the meagre resources accruing to the state monthly.

    “Osun has undisputedly become a pace setter in almost all sectors, such as the provision of 150,000 computer tablets for pupils, the employment of 40,000 youths under the Osun Youth Employment Scheme (O’YES), the successful hosting of the Oodua World Children’s Day celebration, the feeding of 240,000 pupils daily with highly nutritious meals and the provision of free uniforms for public school pupils, among others.

    “The governor’s passion to renew Osun and the outstanding and unimaginable work he has done are there for everyone to see. With these, we declare our solidarity for his administration and 100 per cent commitment to his reelection.”

     

  • 150,000 Osun pupils to get Opon-Imo

    •Atiku, Tinubu, others hail Aregbesola’s foresight

     

    Osun State hosted the cream of dignitaries from across the country yesterday as Governor Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated his pet project – the tablet of knowledge for pupils.

    The tablet of knowledge, Opon Imo, is an ipad that contains textbooks, tutorial and practice questions to prepare high school pupils for learning and their school leaving examinations.

    No fewer than 150,00 of the tablets, designed to democratise access to learning, will be distributed to high school pupils, Aregbesola said.

    Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka said the electronic device would afford the pupils in the state the opportunity to learn faster than their counterparts in other parts of the country.

    Dignitaries in attendance were led by House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife, Florence, federal and state lawmakers, traditional rulers led by Ooni of Ife Oba Okunade Sijuwade and the Owa Obokun of Ijebuland Oba Adekunle Aromolaran.

    There were also former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, National Leader of the ACN Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Senators Oluremi Tinubu and Sola Adeyeye, who represented Prof. Soyinka, Deputy Governor of Lagos State Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola, House of Representatives Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila and Lt Gen Alani Akinrinade.

    Also present were the wife of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Erelu Bisi and members of the executive council and lawmakers in Osun State.

    Other traditional rulers in attendance included the Oragun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Adedeji, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi and the Olufon of Ifon-Osun, Oba Kunle Magbagbeola.

    The ceremony was held at the Zanabab Resource Centre in Ilo-Ijesa near Ilesa, Aregbesola’s home town.

    Prof. Soyinka said Aregbesola has revolutionised the education sector.

    Tinubu described Aregbesola as a man of principle, determination, optimism and progressivism, whom he said always believed in achievements and transformation.

    Tinubu, who noted that Aregbesola has all it takes to perform wonders, described him as a tested and trusted administrator, who knows his onions.

    The ACN National Leader passed a vote of confidence in Aregbesola for the initiative, saying he has proven a worthy choice for governor.”When we were doing this fight, a fight that your stolen mandate should be restored, we knew what we have; we know that you are worthy and thank you for not dissappointing us,” he said.

    Tinubu also praised Aregbesola’s first son, Kabiru, whom he invited to the podium, for the role he played in making the project a reality.

    “There is one young man who participated on this project, and that is his (Aregbesola’s) son, Kabiru. I know what your contribution to this is. I know your father will not want to say it, but I am very very proud of you,” he said.

    An elated Aregbesola said 150,000 Senior Secondary School (SSS) pupils will get the tablet free of charge.

    He said his administration embarked on the project to build a knowledge-based society and digital-driven economy to build human capacity to gain competitive advantage to develop the nation.

    He said: “The Tablet of Knowledge is a standalone e-learning tablet that provides the high school pupils with the contents required to prepare for school leaving examinations. It provides three major contents categories, textbooks,tutorials and practice questions.

    “150,000 of these tablets are being distributed to all high school students across the state. In a move that is expected to radically democratise access to learning, regardless of means, location or status. Consequently, the initiative seeks to bring school closer to the students and serve as a silver bullet to the learning challenges facing our continent. It is one of Osun’s multi-pronged efforts at reforming education.

    “The Opon Imo delivers compelling self-placed standalone courses, conducted in a highly interactive computer-based learning environment and synchronised to a library of relevant e-books and a computer-based testing environment. Opon-Imo is the first of its kind initiative in the Nigeria. Africa and arguably, world, which tackles the learning problem using contemporary ICTS, indigenous content and taking into account socially embedded factors accordingly.”

    Aregbesola described the tablet as a portable electronic device, which is controlled through its touch screen interface, and is available across the open source Android Operating System. He added: “It is an electronic device, first of its kind mobile learning tool that pupils can use in multiple locations, at home, in school and any other location.”

    According to him, other things that make Opon Imo ground-breaking were stand alone customised content, which works regardless of data networks, making it suitable for developing countries with unreliable networks.

    He said: “Indigenous and customised content like multimedia content that has 56 tutorials and e-textbooks covering 17 subjects, over 40,000 practice questions and answers, seven extra- curricular books. Opon Imo can track academic progress of the pupil. An independent powering communal solar charging systems are installed in the schools for convenience. The device can also be powered by electricity at home.

    “First of its kind, stand alone educational tablet, using indigenous content. It will save the state of Osun an estimated N8.4 billion($53 million) annaually in textbook procurement costs.”

    Deputy Governor Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who is also the Commissioner for Education, described Aregbesola as a special gift , who is passionate about the development and progress of the state.

    Atiku described e-learning and digital learning as the way forward for Nigeria.

    He said: “In my view, our greatest asset in this country is not oil; it is not cocoa; it is not cassava or groundnuts. And I respect all our farmers and their contributions towards our development. Our greatest asset is our people, the Nigerian people. We have to educate and train our teeming young population if we seriously hope to develop this country.”

    The founder of American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, while underscoring the importance of education, said experience has shown that education and training will open doors of opportunity to students and help in rebuilding the country.

    Atiku added: “Education opened doors of opportunity for me and gave me what I have today. Only education can guarantee the future of our young people.”

    He informed the gathering that as founder of the AUN, he and the team put together to birth the university recognised the imperative of e-learning and digital learning and that the Yola-based development university is better for it.

    He praised the Osun State government for recognising the need for this important investment in a major component of e-learning.

    “The education of our children and the overall development of our human capital is something that we can all agree on, irrespective of our political parties or platforms. We may disagree on the details or the how and where. But very few people would ask why we should give our children good quality education.”

  • Opon Imo: Osun’s new baby comes alive today

    Opon Imo: Osun’s new baby comes alive today

    Today, the people of Osun will celebrate a landmark event. It is the official launch of Opon Imo, the electronic e-learning computer tablet for pupils in SS1, 2 and 3, which will prepare them for school-leaving certificate examinations, as well as equip them for the UTME into universities and other tertiary institutions.

    Opon Imo is the very first of its kind in the world, which comprises the entire educational needs of a student in higher secondary school into a handy electronic tablet not only to make learning easier, but also to make available every necessary bit of information and instruction that the student needs for knowledge, and to pass relevant examinations for his or her continuing education.

    The Opon Imo comes with 63,000 e-books covering 17 subjects prescribed for the WAEC, NECO and SSCE. There is a whole English Dictionary uploaded into this wonderful computer tablet, as well as Yoruba proverbs, the Holy Bible and the Quran, plus past questions of the last ten (10) years. It also contains lesson notes with 51 video tutorial installed as study aid. This tablet is a core component of the educational transformation agenda of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led government that inherited a decaying education infrastructure which produced one of the worst student performances in the history of school –leaving certificate examinations in the country. These unacceptable results challenged the governor and his planning team; and after series of brainstorming sessions they came up with this idea of the Opon Imo as impetus for learning and an easy access to all the information and schooling materials necessary for obtaining excellent grades and performance in various examinations.

    Besides, the Opon Imo has been designed to close up the interactive teaching and learning environment between teachers and students on the one hand, and the student’s access to all the textbooks he/she needs to acquire knowledge and perform well at examinations on the other hand.

    But one of the greatest solutions it provides is that no matter how rich or poor the student’s parents may be, each one of them in the State of Osun will have free access to 57 textbooks and seven other extra-curricular texts for expanded knowledge in SS1, 2 & 3 levels of senior secondary school education. This is a spectacular achievement not replicated anywhere else in Nigeria or Africa. All these are in addition to the fact that the Opon Imo is the first of its kind in the world.

    We recall that earlier in this educational transformation exercise, the Ogbeni-led ACN government in Osogbo has been radically changing the infrastructure of many schools and colleges; and has also been focusing attention on the younger ones in schools from primary one to four, by providing them with a healthy rich meal a day.

    This is to ensure that young pupils have sufficient food nutrients for health and energy to boost their capacity for intellectual growth – as the saying goes, “to have a sound mind in a sound body”.

    No matter what the critics may have against the ACN government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, they cannot but acknowledge that his education reform agenda is not just unprecedented; it is blazing a trail that will be replicated across Nigeria and Africa in the not-too-distant future. This will not only put the state of Osun in a conspicuous space on the educational map of Africa and the world, it will also attest to the uncommon genius of the thinking behind the project.

    The people of Osun should feel proud today that, with the official launch of Opon Imo, they are taking the lead in the whole world to provide an electronic gadget which nobody on earth has ever thought of, but which has the potential of improving on the incentive to learning and educational excellence that all humanity aspires for.

    Credit for this attainment must also go to Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori the deputy governor, who is also commissioner for education, for the tireless efforts of herself and her team within and outside the ministry of education in bringing this project to its successful completion. We must also acknowledge the collaborative effort of the people of China whose technological input made production of the Opon Imo possible.

    A great window of opportunity has now been opened to parents, teachers and the pupils themselves to never again allow educational standards to fall in Osun, but should make it climb the ladder of excellence higher and higher in the south west, Nigeria and Africa or even on the world map. This is the least that Governor Aregbesola expects as gratitude from the people of the state of Osun for his tireless efforts in developing high quality human capital for our society and communities.

    Finally, the people of Osun should congratulate themselves that in the last 30 months, their collective will expressed in 2007 but actualized in 2010, has produced this record –breaking progress that has ended the years of the locust and set the state on the path of distinction as a role model in the management of scarce resources and creative thinking.

    Osun ti’ndara, Odua a gbe wa o!!