Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa
- targets schools’ infrastructural development
Ondo State Government has expressed readiness to align with the programmes and policies of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission, NSSEC, to build and upgrade infrastructural facilities in senior secondary schools across the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Mr Olaolu Akindolire, committed while playing host to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Iyela Ajayi, during a courtesy call on him in his office.
NSSEC is saddled with the mandate to prescribe the national minimum standard for education and intervene in senior secondary education through the provision of infrastructural facilities.
The Commissioner said the administration of Lucky Aiyedatiwa has fully aligned with the Federal Government’s resolve to address the deficit in infrastructure in senior secondary schools, in collaboration with NSSEC, across all states of the federation.
Akindolire assured that the state government would soon constitute the State Senior Secondary Education Board (SSSEB) in line with the directive of the Federal Government and was ready to provide office accommodation for the take-off of the programme in the state.
He lauded the Commission for choosing to establish the southwest zonal office in Akure, the Ondo State capital, assuring that the state government would provide all necessary requirements for the smooth take-off of the Commission’s zonal office.
The Commissioner said the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa was in a hurry to develop the education landscape of the state and would align with the mandate of the NSSEC to attract the necessary development to the sector.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Iyela Ajayi, earlier informed the Commissioner that NSSEC had chosen to establish its southwest zonal office in Akure and solicited the understanding of the state government in ensuring its smooth take-off.
He added that NSSEC, established by Act 47 in May 1999, is saddled with the responsibility of prescribing minimum standards of secondary education throughout Nigeria as well as managing the National Secondary Education Fund and other related matters.
Ajayi also highlighted the role of state governments in ensuring the smooth take-off of the programme in their respective states, which includes the establishment of the State Senior Secondary Education Board.
The Executive Secretary of NSSEC, however, assured that the board, when established, would be an agency under the state Ministry of Education and would not interfere with the programmes and operations of other agencies or boards in the state.
The Hope