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Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has declared that his government will continue to support educational advancement both locally and internationally as education remains one of the major pillars of his administration.
The governor maintained that his government has been doing a lot of things in the education sector towards improving primary, secondary and tertiary education in the state, adding that it also believes that foreign education can help the state to achieve its vision of economic expansion and development.
Governor Makinde, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, made this statement on Friday, at the second edition of the International Study Abroad Fair (ISAF) 2025 with the theme: “Global Mastery, Local Impact: Empowering Minds Through International Education,” held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
This was as the Managing Director of TPSEAL Education, United Kingdom and host of the ISAF, Lady Tolu Eledan, reflected on the success of the ISAF 24, stating that it led to the facilitation of 100 fully-funded scholarships internationally for postgraduate studies worth about $10,000 each and amounting to $1,000,000 worth of scholarships for Oyo State students.
Governor Makinde, while delivering the keynote address entitled: “Harnessing International Education Experience for Local Economic Development,” noted that international education is not only about getting a degree abroad but about gaining exposure to new ideas, mastering advanced skills and building networks across continents.
He added that though foreign education is good, it is imperative for youths to return home to put such acquired skills to use in the development of the country and make an impact locally.
According to the governor, the Oyo State Government will continue to collaborate with foreign investors in the education sector to create pathways for partnership and more investments.
He said: “In today’s world, international education is no longer about getting a degree abroad, it is about gaining exposure to new ideas, mastering advanced skills and building networks across continents.
“Beyond the pursuit of knowledge, we must ask ourselves, how we channel the global exposure into local content.
For us as a state, you know one of our pillars is education and we are doing a lot on basic education as well as tertiary education. We are also a strong believer in the fact that having a foreign education also helps.
“We want to make residents of Oyo State global citizens that can impact locally. Therefore, when this summit came up, we felt we should be a part of it as a state.
“For us, we see this collaboration as where we want to be; as the one that can take Oyo State on the global map, because we are thinking about entrepreneurs that will leverage their skills and develop the skills they have gotten and bring them back.
“We are not preaching Japa. We are saying that if you go, have the mindset that Nigeria is your country and Oyo State is yours, come back home and develop. That’s what we are preaching.
“On sponsorship, we are working on it. And you know as a government, we don’t just promise without fulfilling. Even locally, we do sponsor students. 100 indigenes of Oyo State have been given scholarships to study in Malaysia through ISAF.
So, if they can do that for us, why won’t we as a state put our money where our mouth is by encouraging our people to give them scholarships to go and acquire the skills and come back to develop our state?”
Delivering his goodwill message with the title “Equipping the Next Generation: International Education as a Tool for Empowerment,” Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, affirmed the importance of education to economic growth and development of the nation.
He commended the efforts of the organisers in exploring and empowering youths through international exposure, stating that the unwavering commitment of the Oyo State Government to education has seen it earmark a substantial ₦145.25 billion, representing 21.44 per cent of the total budget, to the education sector.
He added that the present administration in the state will soon embark on the renovation of not less than 100 secondary schools across the state to complement other educational development programmes and investments on school infrastructure, teachers and students.
Also speaking, the Executive Adviser to the governor on Agribusiness and Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Dr Debo Akande, narrated how studying abroad in his early years guided his performance in his chosen career.
He explained that technical and vocational education training should not be a second option but must be championed as a pathway to success to foster creativity, resilience and adaptability.
Earlier in his remarks, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts INTI, International University of Malaysia, DR NG Miew Luan, in her paper entitled: “Global Network, Local Solutions: The Power of International Collaboration,” explained that experiences gained through international education are not merely personal milestones but transformative tools that can reshape communities and nations.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Kayode Adebowale; the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian Tribune, Mr Edward Dickson; the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Mr Olusegun Alebiosu; and the Head, Small and Medium Enterprises Banking, UBA Group, Lagos, Mr Ajayi Babatunde, all charged youths to leverage the opportunities that abound in studying abroad to seek knowledge globally and apply the innovations locally.
Earlier in her welcome address, Lady Eledan noted that the second edition of ISAF ’25 “aims to equip youths with international exposure and the capacity to use the expertise to drive development in the communities and nations, inspire students and professionals to use their international exposure to build stronger local economies and drive meaningful change and also to reinforce advocacy for “JAPADA” -returning home to contribute to national development instead of the “JAPA” syndrome.
The event had in attendance Mr Peter Eledan; member representing Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central Federal Constituency, Dr Adebayo Adepoju; Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Solihu Adelabu; Commissioner for Youths and Sport, Hon. Wasilat Adegoke and the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Williams Akin-Funmilayo.
Others were the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Ademola Ojo; Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Barr. Seun Ashamu and the Chancellor, Abiola Ajimobi First Technical University, Prof Adesola Ajayi, among other stakeholders.
Signed
Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju
Special Adviser (Media) to the Oyo State Governor
February 21, 2025.
