Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has vowed to end illiteracy and put a stop to incidents of school dropouts in the state. The governor, who expressed the readiness of his government to forge partnership with intending private investors to strengthen education in the state, said his government had paid N6.2 billion as counterpart-funding to benefit from the Universal Basic Education fund, while N400 million had been deployed to offset debts owed contractors handling projects at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Oyebanji spoke, yesterday, while commissioning a block of four classrooms donated by Build a School Initiative in Africa (BASIA) and Ajoni Local Council Development Area (LCDA), at St. Luke Primary School, Esun-Ekiti in Ikole Council.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Monisade Afuye, said no nation could relegate education and be expected to overcome its challenges as well as become prosperous, the reason the government is placing premium priority on education of the youth population.

He described the event as historic, said the partnership between the non-governmental organisation and Ajoni LCDA would bring radical development to the education sector via increased school enrolment.

In his submission, Chairman of Ajoni LCDA, Michael Ogungbemi, said the international standard school project would offer comfort to children for them to embark on their educational journey.

He described education as the pivot upon which every society stands and flourishes, saying that the primary cadre of education holds a special place in shaping the future of children.

Ogungbemi siad that his administration had pioneered ‘Ajoni Educational Endowment Scheme’ to advance educational excellence among the primary school pupils, where Ayiga Prince, an indigent , but academically sound pupil, was the first beneficiary of the lofty policy.