EKOEXCEL will empower pupils for self-reliant future, says Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board’s (LASUBEB) EKOEXCEL will relentlessly empower children and youths with the requisite skills for a self-reliant future.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this during the 2023 Children’s Day celebration held at the Police College Ground in Ikeja, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the state would continue to collaborate with the private sector to boost children and youths’ talent in the state.

He added that the government would also provide the right environment to develop pupils’ skills and prepare them for a brighter future.

The governor, who described the celebration’s theme as a call on leaders to provide more funds for primary education, said since 2019, the state government had delivered a series of initiatives, including EKOEXCEL, for children’s benefit to underscore its commitment to child rights protection and welfare.

Sanwo-Olu said that his administration would continue to create awareness of important issues to make the children happy.

“Government recognises early childhood education’s role in ensuring a better future for children. As part of government’s efforts to improve teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools across the state, over 1,449 projects have been commissioned, covering 1,036 schools across all 20 local councils and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).

“These include construction, renovation and rehabilitation of dilapidated public schools and supply of composite furniture units to schools, among other infrastructure projects.

“Also, through the “project zero programme,” the rate of out-of-school children has reduced by reabsorbing with full kits, a total of 11,957 pupils back to school to demonstrate our administration’s zero tolerance for “out-of-school children.”

Since its inauguration in 2019, EKOEXCEL has recorded notable achievements, including moving over 13,000 headteachers and teachers from analogue to digital teaching, using tablets and updated curricula.

Over 14,000 primary school teachers from 1,011 public primary schools have been captured under the scheme. It has also enhanced the teacher-pupil interaction experience through technology (eLearning) in Lagos State primary schools.

Last April, the Lagos State government, through EKOEXCEL launched a dedicated real-time monitoring control centre called the Situation Room that visualizes the flow of data – direct from the classroom to dashboards displaying it in real time from all 1013 primary schools under the programme.

The state-of-the-art facility equipped with cutting-edge technology, is arguably the first in Nigeria for government owned schools,” he said.