This call was made at the Egba Education Roundtable held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, where eminent personalities, traditional rulers, and policymakers gathered to chart a new course for educational advancement in Egbaland and Ogun State at large.
In his remarks, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, emphasised the importance of continuous engagement among stakeholders to address the multifaceted challenges confronting education, noting that the government cannot singlehandedly tackle these issues within a short time, describing the roundtable as “timely and visionary.”
Also speaking, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola, highlighted four crucial pillars for effective learning including the learner, the teacher, the content, and the environment, advocating that learners must be shielded from distractions, while teachers must remain current and well-supported to deliver knowledge effectively.
He further stressed that parents must instill sound values at home, while the learning environment must be conducive for intellectual growth.
On her part, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, noted that Egbaland has a rich legacy of producing highly educated individuals who have excelled globally, lamenting that recent developments however demand innovative and collaborative approaches to sustain that legacy.
“Egbaland has a foundation of education, but presently, there aren’t many Egba people in prominent positions. This roundtable is to explore new ways to ensure that future generations continue to uphold our proud tradition of excellence,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Repositioning Education as the Bedrock of Egba Development,” the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, underscored the centrality of teacher quality in educational outcomes, saying the quality of education cannot rise beyond the quality of its teachers.
He added that training, retraining, and digital literacy must be prioritised, while also advocating entrepreneurship and vocational education as integral to modern learning, noting that institutions such as TASUED have already begun integrating such courses into their curriculum.
Prof. Arigbabu further urged increased investment in libraries, laboratories, and infrastructure to enhance learning, reiterating that education must remain a right, not a privilege.
