The African Development Bank (AfDB) has hailed the Rauf Aregbesola administration in Osun State for economically developing the state through the implementation of its people-oriented policies and programmes.
The AfDB scored the state high on its social investment programmes.
It described the programmes as most laudable, impactful and commendable in the democratic history of the country.
The leadership of the AfDB, led by its Country Director, Mr Ebrima Faal, gave the commendation during a visit to Governor Aregbesola at Government House in Osogbo, the state capital.
Faal lauded the state’s Six-ýPoint Integral Action Plan, which he said was in line with the organisation’s objectives.
He said: “We are here to commend the state government for being committed to human and capital development as we have seen the positive impacts made in the lives of the citizens.
“We have seen the wonderful works going on across the state, particularly the massive infrastructural development and the efforts the state is making to turn around the economic fortunes of the state.
“We are enthused to be here to express our commitment to support the state in some critical areas of interest, in line with our primary objective, to stimulate the economy of our people in the continent.
Osun government has done so much to make life meaningful and abundant for the citizens just as we have made direct investment on the people to the tune of billions.
The social investment was done through initiatives such as Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES), Osun School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEAL), Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP) and Osun Ambulance services.
Governor Aregbesola of Osun State has human-centric vision of the future of work that recognizes people’s knowledge, talents, creativity and skills as key drivers of a prosperous and inclusive economy. The Governor has set aside not less than 26% of Osun budget for education and 16% for health according to United Nations mandate. The budget to GDP has not be less than 5%. Aregbesola has operated an investment budget in the past 7 years in Osun.
Aregbesola believes in investing in human capital which is necessary but not sufficient for sustainable development. Aregbesola has strengthened the two pillars of human capital — education and health — which turn populations into the skilled workforces needed to make them the greatest assets for their countries, these efforts mean little without a conducive policy framework for people to reach their full potential. For instance, people living in fear for their lives, without access to the internet, or without freedoms to voice their opinions will not be able to take responsibility to shape their lives and impact their communities.
Aregbesola has at different for a highlighted the importance of investing in education and health with special focus on power structures. Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Bill Gates and World Bank have highlighted the urgent and critical importance of investing more and more efficiently in people to prepare countries for the economy of the future. They have highlighted the powerful link between investments and economic growth, stability and security. Shining a spotlight on human capital as a project for the world, they have highlighted the need to propel investments in people to the forefront of national and global agenda.
UNICEF had led top government officials drawn from 17 states in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to Osun for a four-day learning tour of its various social investment programmes and building human capital. Consequently, Osun developmental programmes have also impacted on the socio-economic profile of the state as reported by reputable institutions. In 2015, The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) rated Osun 2nd Highest in Human Development Index among the 36 states in the Country.
Governor Aregbesola has maximized finance for development, build human capital, and promote stability and security around Osun State. In Osun, Aregbesola has provided a unique opportunity to build on his new social security system as Osun takes the lead and responsibility for benefits that previously none existed.
Aregbesola has seized the opportunity and as Osun’s Social Security Governor, he is taking a fundamentally different approach to advance human capital development and revolutionalized social security in Nigeria. A landmark Social Security system has been enshrined in the principles of dignity and respect in law and with social security recognised as a basic human right. In line with World Bank advice,
Aregbesola maintained that his administration focused on the six-point integral action plan which has over the years made his government to focus on social security areas through schemes such as the O-YES, O-MEALS,O-AMBULANCE the welfare scheme for the aged among others. He has provided succour to huge number of youths that hitherto had no hope. He set up Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and under the scheme, he brought in volunteers to help their communities in social works such as clearing the drainages, removing refuse, feeding the pupils and directing traffic where such was necessary, among others. And he has engaged through this scheme 40,000 youths and from that, he was able to remove extreme poverty in Osun. It is through this that many programmes such as Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme emerged.
Thousands of pupils are fed on every school day while the state recruited thousands of young women as food vendors discharging the responsibility of cooking and serving the pupils in all the government elementary schools delicious and salubrious meals. He has also invested hugely on school infrastructure as this initiative brings about the successes with which he has recorded massive school infrastructure development. Osun School Feeding and Health Programme, O’MEAL. Formerly known as Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFP), OMEAL’s capacity has been strengthened under this administration to accommodate more beneficiaries. And, as at December 2016, the state government has spent more than N10billion to provide over-200 million plates of highly nutritious meals to pupils in its Elementary Schools across the state.
In Osun, there are varieties of activities on Social Protection that have galvanised and driven the administration more rigorously. Prominent among them is Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme. (OYES), which is a radical, robust, market-development and character-building programme put in place by the government to tackle the annoying scourge of unemployment among our youths. Apolitical in concept and all-embracing in process, the Omoluabi ethos-inclined scheme succeeded in mopping up more than 40,000 youths off our streets for productive engagement.
One major achievement of the scheme is the eradication of avoidable diseases among the school pupils. For instance, before this administration came to power, it was discovered that eight out of every 10 students had scurvy, but that has disappeared with the advent of OMEAL. Also, the scheme has never recorded any incidence of contamination or food poisoning since inception. Added to this is the reduction in unemployment through the absorption and empowerment of over 3,000 community caterers.
Followed is the ‘Agba Osun’, the Elderly Persons Welfare Scheme’, which was proactively designed to cater for the needs of the elderly, as well as enhance the socio-economic status of the critically vulnerable senior citizens in the state.
Through Osun Destitute Rehabilitation Programme (O’REHAB), mentally-challenged individuals are identified, rehabilitated and reunited with their families and the society. Under the programme, the already rehabilitated mentally-challenged persons are taken through skills acquisition training in addition to moral and financial support, all geared towards ensuring proper reintegration into the society. O’REHAB also undertakes public enlightenment campaigns on the causes and treatment of mental disorder.
State of Osun’s Free Medical Programme is also worthy of mention. Government’s intervention in this sector is geared towards alleviating the burden of ill-health as well as reducing the indirect costs of diseases and disabilities such as lost years in income, care of family members and lower productivity, to mention but a few.
What of Osun Ambulance Services (O’AMBULANCE)? With one ambulance in each of the then 30 Local Government Areas, plus one Administrative Office, and 19 sophisticated ambulance buses in strategic locations in the state at inception, it is sure that those with the faith of Thomas concerning government’s commitment to reducing accident rates and saving lives in the state will have a rethink.
Osun Microcredit Agency, an agency established to aid the economic expansion of the state through the provision and disbursement of credit facilities, primarily, to cooperative groups of artisans, traders and medium-scale agro-allied enterprises, amongst others. For instance, more than N3 billion has so far been injected into the state’s economy through its activities, even as very low interest and interest-free loans have been made available, compared with interventions before its establishment. This intervention has also led to better utilisation of borrowed funds among the beneficiaries and an improvement in the capital of the participating Micro-Finance Banks (MFBs).
Also worthy of mention are ‘Walk-to-live’, an embodiment of team work, mental alertness and physical exercise that richly adds value to the health of the citizens; and Osun Calisthenics Programme which has been preparing Osun students for the future through “a variety of movements often performed rhythmically and usually conducted in concerts with stretches to depict symbols.” It is interesting to note that, apart from the introduction of Calisthenics into Osun schools’ curriculum, other states like Lagos have identified with this laudable initiative.
Lest I forget, one of the important contributions by the state government to the Agriculture sector, which is now famously described as the prospective backbone of Nigeria’s economy, is the establishment of Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project (O’RAMP). It is an agency which sees to the construction of rural access roads in our farm settlements. The overall intention of this initiative is to enhance massive production of food crops in the state.
The O’UNIFORM, a regime of uniform identity for all the students in the state’s public schools, has also done a lot in eradicating discriminations among the students, in addition to maximizing economies of scale on the part of the local suppliers of the uniforms to the buyers. Other advantages abound!
Inwalomhe Donald writes from Benin City [email protected]
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