Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, has called for more involvement of the private sector in the funding of primary education as part of efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.
The governor made the call when the head, Oando Foundation, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Ilorin yesterday.
Ahmed, who also called for partnership between the state government and Oando through infrastructure and technical assistance to the state owned International Vocational Centre, Ajasse-Ipo, said proper funding of basic education was beyond the sole capability of any tier of government; hence the need for private sector intervention.
“Unless we put a very strong policy in place to truly support the basic education level we will be creating some problems for future generations. Nigerians need to participate in the support for driving basic education levels to better levels”, he said.
He commended Oando Foundation for its intervention in basic education through the “Adopt a School Initiative”, saying such intervention would free some funds for the upgrade of other schools.
The head, Oando Foundation, Mrs Adekanola Adegoke, said the organisation established in 2011 had adopted four schools in the state this year for intervention with the aim of promoting school enrolment, pass rate, infrastructure development, water, sanitation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).