Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has transformed primary and secondary learning in the state and revamp its educational sector.
The governor, through the EdoBEST initiative transformed public primary and junior secondary schools into centres of learning through a blend of modern teaching methods and cutting-edge technology.
The initiative has been hailed as a national model for improving the delivery of basic education in public schools.
The programme’s focus on teacher training, technology-enabled teaching with smart devices, adequate instructional materials, and an elaborate measurement and evaluation mechanism currently empowers over 380,000 Edo children aged between four and 15 years with accessible, equitable, and qualitative education.
Owing to this feat, the governor has been recognised for his pioneering role in educational reforms and digital transformation.
Governor Godwin Obaseki and Ozavize Eyitayo Salami, executive chairman of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), were honoured at the Nigeria GovTech Public Service Awards 2024, hosted by the Federal Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).
Read also: Obaseki advocates pragmatic policies to boost food security
As part of the broader celebration of state’s achievements, the Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) was honoured with the Best GIS in Nigeria award, while Oredo Local Government Council received recognition as the Digital Local Government of the Year.
Obaseki, who received the Digital Governor of the Year Award (Public Sector Automation), was lauded for his bold reforms over the past eight years, driving digital governance and service automation in the state.
Under his leadership, Edo has emerged as Nigeria’s most digitally connected state, with every local government linked through fibre optics and the entire public service running on an efficient e-government platform.
This transformation has positioned Edo State at the forefront of public sector digitisation in Nigeria.
Ozavize Salami, executive chairman of Edo SUBEB, who was awarded the Distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s Award. Salami took over leadership at Edo SUBEB in November 2021.
Since coming into office, she has dedicated herself to consolidating the gains of the EdoBEST Programme, an education reform initiated by Governor Obaseki, which leverages technology and data to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy and significantly improve learning outcomes in classrooms.
As a leader, she demonstrates strong programme implementation skills and a resilience that drives and sustains reforms and transformation initiatives. This has clearly set her apart and earned her this prestigious award.
In response to the awards, Salami stated, “This recognition is not just for me, but for the entire team at SUBEB and the dedicated teachers across Edo State.”
“Our collective effort in driving education reform through technology is changing lives, and I am grateful to Governor Obaseki for his visionary leadership.”
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
