National Daily

Ogun and its many higher institutions

By ADEGBENRO ADEBANJO

IF there is one thing that is beyond debate about Ogun State, it is its preeminent position in Education in Nigeria. Apart from playing host to the highest number of tertiary institutions in the country, it is about the only state in the country that devotes 25% of its annual budget to the service and improvement of Education.

Since the inauguration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel as Governor of Ogun State on May 29, 2003 the education sector has enjoyed tremendous improvement in terms of standard, funding and human capital development. As his tenure progresses, education has continued to feature prominently in the scheme of things to the extent that it has become a tool for the social and economic development of the Gateway State.

Under the watch of Governor Daniel at least eight towns spread across the length and breadth of the state have become host communities of vibrant higher institutions with attendant social and economic benefits to the people. First to come was the establishment of the Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering of the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Aiyetoro and Ibogun. This is in fulfillment of the vision of the founding fathers of the institution that envisioned a multi campus arrangement to give every part of the state a sense of ownership of the institution founded by the State's first executive Governor, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo.

In the run up to the establishment of the Ibogun and Aiyetoro campuses in Egba and Yewa divisions respectively, projects worth millions of Naira were executed which created thousands of temporary and permanent jobs. And around the campuses new businesses are springing up everyday. There are booksellers, operators of canteens, mama put joints, telephone and computer operators, book binding etc. More than this, employment opportunities have continued to grow as the two communities develop into fledging university towns.

As it is with Aiyetoro and Ibogun so it is with Saapade in Remo Division, Igbesa in Yewa Division, Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu Division and Itori in Egba Division. The four towns are the host communities of new ICT Polytechnics established by the OGD administration. The Polytechnics were borne out of the vision of the Governor to ensure that Ogun States emerging future generation latch on to the ICT revolution. The four ICT higher institutions that have become fully functional continue to have major economic benefits for the people of the area were they are located. The ICT Polytechnics in Itori for instance has 401 students with a combined teaching and non-teaching staff of 120. This story is replicated to varying degrees in the three other institutions.

The communities cannot thank Governor Daniel enough for the benefits they are reaping. The economic life of the people would not be the same again. Suddenly houses long abandoned are being completed. The ones that had no occupants have students' tenants who pay monthly rents. Artisans who stay for weeks without any work to do are busy all week round while property continues to appreciate. Kiosks, shops, small and medium scale retail businesses are also on the rise. Transporters in the area are also not left out of the booming times as the frequency of passengers has increased significantly. Since new structures are always in the making in the new schools, bricklayers, painters, carpenters and their ilk are also benefiting from the establishment of the new schools.

But by far the greatest beneficiaries of Governor Daniel's focus on Education are the young men and women of the Gateway State. But for the establishment of the schools many of them would not have had the opportunity of higher education. This is because the National University Commission, NUC, now determines what it calls the carrying capacity for universities in the country. For OSU, the figure is below 4000. That means that the school cannot admit beyond that limit. So the establishment of new institutions apart from its inherent benefits of opening up towns and boosting the economies of host and surrounding communities has provided additional opportunities for brilliant students to pursue higher education.

It is because of this multiple benefits that the state Government also established the Gateway Industrial Petrochemical Institute, GIPI, in Oni to cater for the expected needs in the state's emerging oil and Gas industry. Already Oni hitherto a somnolent community has become a be-hive of activities. Simply put, the establishment of GIPI has given the economy of the town a permanent shot in the arm, which is reverberating in other nearby communities.

Omu is the latest host of a higher institution in Ogun State. Omu owes its good fortune to the directive of the National Board for Colleges of Education that The Tai Solarin College of Education, TASCE, should not be an appendage of Tai Solarin University, the country's first University of Education established by the OGD administration.

•Adebanjo, wrote from Ogun State