The Oyo State Government has announced a significant initiative to address the issue of over 1.5 million out-of-school children in the region. Under the transformative Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) program, which ran from 2017 to 2022, many of these children have already been successfully integrated into various public schools. Now, the government aims to continue this positive trend by implementing the BESDA-Additional Funding-Transforming Education System at the state level.

During the opening of a community-driven development approach training program at the Lagelu Grammar School Hall in Ibadan, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Adeniyi Olusanjo, revealed the government’s plans. The program’s main objective is to bring back the remaining 1.5 million out-of-school children who have not yet benefitted from the BESDA initiative within the 2017 to 2022 period.

Rotimi Babalola, the Director of Press and Public Relations for the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, explained that the state had been chosen for this project due to its impressive success under the previous BESDA program. The federal government and international donors such as the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education recognized Oyo State’s achievements, which led to its selection for the new project.

It’s worth noting that the 1.5 million out-of-school children encompass not only local students but also those from neighboring states and countries who sought the benefit of Oyo State’s free education policy.

The state Coordinator of BESDA-AF-TESS, Bamidele Odekunle, emphasized the critical role of the school-based management committee in ensuring the success of this new initiative.