The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has stressed the need for sustained investment in basic education as a critical foundation for producing well-rounded citizens, professionals and responsible leaders capable of driving Nigeria’s development.

Bamidele, who spoke during the inauguration of the renovated Government Science College, Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State at the weekend, said the essence of investing in schools was to create an environment where children could acquire the knowledge, skills and character needed to become better and greater leaders of tomorrow.

The senator, who personally undertook the renovation of the school at a cost of over N200 million, said the intervention was driven by his belief in human capital development and the need to give young people the opportunity to realise their potential.

The renovation covered the boys’ hostel, administrative and classroom blocks, girls’ hostel, dining hall and kitchen, while the lawmaker also presented a brand-new bus to the school to enhance its operations and support the students.

He also presented a brand-new bus to the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences Iyin-Ekiti (FUTESI)

Bamidele said the significance of the project went beyond the physical structures, noting that the ultimate objective was to provide a solid foundation for children who could grow to become professionals and leaders in various sectors of the economy.

According to him, “Part of my own vision is for us to have a school system that will be able to produce people who are better and greater than us, all these children who are here.

“My hope and prayer is that this is the home of tomorrow’s engineers, medical doctors, physicists, pharmacists and, in the leadership sector future governors, future senators, commissioners and other leaders.”

The Senate Leader said the foundation stage of education remained critical to the development of individuals and the nation, stressing that a society that desired sustainable development must pay serious attention to the quality of education provided to its children.

He explained that the intervention was also his way of appreciating the Ekiti State Government for granting the necessary support that enabled the use of the permanent site of the Government Science College for the take-off of FUTESI.

Bamidele said although the university could not immediately vacate the premises as initially envisaged due to some circumstances, including heavy rainfall, he felt compelled to respond to the needs of the students and improve their learning environment.

He said he subsequently sought the approval of the state government through the Ministry of Education for a six-week window during the students’ vacation to undertake the first phase of the renovation.

“I’m happy about the first phase of this renovation. This was all we could do within six weeks,” he said.

Bamidele, however, disclosed plans for a second phase of the project, which he said would focus on transforming the institution into a more specialised science-oriented school with modern laboratories, a library and other critical facilities.

” Our intention in the long-run is for the school to be a training ground for the university students,” he said.

He said consideration would also be given to constructing additional classroom blocks, subject to the availability of land, to enable the school expand its capacity and accommodate more students whose parents desire science-based education for them.

The senator also addressed concerns over the road leading to the school, saying the state and federal governments were already considering interventions.

On his part, a former governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo lauded the investment and interventions of the lawmaker in the community and the state, describing him as God sent to the people.

Adebayo who reminisced the creation of the school during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2003, said the idea was from the foremost educationalist, late Chief Olorunfemi Balogun, which resulted in the establishment of the schools in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr Adebimpe Aderiye, who represented Governor Biodun Oyebanji, commended Bamidele for his commitment to the development of education and the overall progress of the state.

Aderiye described the senator’s intervention as a significant contribution to the education sector, stressing that improved learning infrastructure was essential to creating an enabling environment for students to acquire quality education.

She assured that the state government would continue to support public schools and ensure that facilities provided through such interventions were properly maintained and effectively utilised. (The Guardian)