Mike Abiola, Editor in Chief of African Voice reports on his visit to the State of Osun in Nigeria to witness the official launch of Opon Imo, a tablet of knowledge.
Education is a critical tool for development, yet most leaders in Africa ignore this fact and instead squander resources on white elephant projects with no direct bearing on human capacity building.
Osun, a state in the southwest of Nigeria is one of the beneficiary territories of the free education scheme of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But over the years, education has not enjoyed such pronged focus from previous administration. So, when an administration comes in with a determination to revolutionise education, it is imminent that the region is again about to witness another historic achievement reminiscent of the Awolowo days.
The launch of (Opon Imo), tablet of knowledge is aimed at creating world class learning conditions for the next generation. The official launch proved to every doubting Thomas that it is, indeed, possible to equip students with this powerful, educational tool.
My visit afforded me the opportunity to travel by road to the venue of the launch in Ilesha via Gbongan – Ife Road and back to Osogbo. The trip allowed me time to interact with the people of the state who are the direct beneficiaries of the innovative policy. Everywhere, across the state, the impact of governance is being felt. The governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is seen as a God-sent at this period in the life of the state in view of his approach to administration and the public value of the dimension of projects he is embarking on.
The Aregbesola led government is embarking on several projects geared towards capturing the hearts, needs, and empowering the minds of the young ones. Opon Imo is just one of such developmental projects.
Ogbeni Aregbesola’s purposeful, passionate and focused committment on development through education is targeted at the youths. The strategy in ‘catching them young’, and preparing them as responsible leaders of tomorrow will account, in part, for the reason his administration is revamping and giving a massive boost to the education sector.
The administration’s commitment to raise the living standards of the people and through education has been a priority. And through the instrument of an education summit to crystallise the agenda, it has clearly been demonstrated that the state is determined to attain achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Highlights of the steps taken include the construction of state-of-the-art schools with modern facilities, free uniforms, elementary school free meals, payment of registration fee and WASC examinations, bursary, scholarship awards and, now, the e-learning project.
The concerns of many Africans, Nigerians, and indigenes of Osun state in the diaspora asking why challenges facing the continent cannot be tackled by educational empowerment of the people as a means is being answered. It is therefore noteworthy to witness the developmental agenda of Osun state of in enriching lives positively, and prescribed for replication by every serious- minded leader in Nigeria and Africa as a whole to lift the people out of degradation and poverty.
The almost three-year old administration of the governor rendered, on his first 100 days in office, employment of 20,000 youths through the Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES and a further 20,000 employed in the second year. This is a record – breaking initiative among government in Nigeria. With the introduction of calisthenics into schools, the state is grooming a generation of physically robust and mentally sound students for leadership.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola brought into Osun state governance a revolutionary step in the teaching methodology of delivering education using technology as a veritable tool to impact on the peoples’ aspirations and learning processes.
It is instructive for purposeful and visionary leadership in Africa to inculcate technology to drive development. Governor Rauf Aregbesola said his administration embarked on the project to build a knowledge-based society and digital-driven economy to build human capacity to gain competitive advantage.
Governor Aregbesola while addressing the gathering at the official unveiling ceremony said Africans should no longer accept the tag of a continent without hope or future, insisting that with the launch of Opon Imo, Nigeria and, indeed, the entire black continent has sent a signal of its arrival on the world stage of development.
Aregbesola said there could be little argument that Opon-Imo is a veritable tablet of knowledge that levels the learning playing fields for all students from different social backgrounds. The tablet will allow students to learn at their own pace, wherever and whenever they choose, saying that it provides robust and uniform learning content for them, offering a feedback mechanism for monitoring of their performance.
According to him, “this little device will greatly facilitate our free education policy by saving the state a lot of money that would have had to go into procuring text books on annual basis.
“The Tablet of Knowledge is a standalone e-learning tablet that provides the high school pupils with the contents required to prepare for school leaving examinations. It provides three major contents categories, textbooks, tutorials and practice questions.
According to him, among other things that make Opon Imo ground-breaking is its stand-alone customised content, which works regardless of data networks, making it suitable for developing countries with unreliable networks.
He said: “Indigenous and customised content like multimedia content that has 56 tutorials and e-textbooks covering 17 subjects, over 40,000 practice questions and answers, seven extra- curricular books. Opon Imo can track academic progress of the pupil.
“First of its kind, stand alone educational tablet, using indigenous content. It will save the state of Osun an estimated N8.4 billion ($53 million) annually in textbook procurement costs.”
The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who is also the Commissioner for Education, said the digitalisation of education in the state is a demonstration of government’s effort to revamp education. She described Aregbesola as a special gift, who is passionate about the development and progress of the state.
How is this possible in a nation without regular supply of electricity? But as African Voice probed further, one of the officials of the government and commissioner responsible for Information, Honourable Sunday Akere, said independently-powered, communal solar charging systems are installed in the schools for convenience. The device can also be powered by electricity at home with six hours of battery life. Akere said, plans are being concluded for a manufacturing plant for the Opon Imo in Osun.
Osun has proven how progressive government policies can benefit its people. Joy knew no bounds as the unveiling and handing out of Ipon Imo to students reverberated from the venue of the launch in Ilesha and throughout the state as citizens were glued to television sets to watch the official launch broadcast across the country.
Indeed, Osun is witnessing a new dawn. In the words of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, “the electronic device would afford the pupils in the state the opportunity to learn faster than their counterparts in other parts of the country. Prof. Soyinka said Aregbesola has revolutionised the education sector. Osun school children have every reason to be proud and to be motivated”.
The UNESCO Director General, represented by the Country Director, Professor Hassana Alidou, said the world education and cultural organisation is ready to partner with any government like Osun, which puts education on the front burner.
“The tablet will contribute immensely to bringing about learning in the state. I will challenge the beneficiaries (students) to effectively use this powerful opportunity to extend their reading and learning capacity.
“The tablet will be for me too a life-long learning opportunity. The message that is included in the tablet is a message of a father who loves his children. It is a message that all parents would love to communicate to their children”.
In leaving the state, a feeling of pride engulfed me and was particularly glad to have witnessed history in the making. Those of us in the Diaspora should not get disillusioned with the seeming ‘rot’ in Africa but demand that purposeful leaderships with well-guided aspirations for development emerge. Rauf Aregbesola the executive Governor of Osun is one of such leaders that the continent must take a cue from.
After reading your report on Opon Imo, I am convinced that Osun State has embarked on a ground breaking revolution in education. This is the first in africa. At a time when most developing countries are battling to tackle issues of access, fairness and equity in education, this initiative by Governor Aregbesola should be commended and recognised by the United Nation. Other states in country should borrow a leaf from Osun State. There is no doubt that this initiative will improve access to girls education and accelerate educational development, particularly as it relates to human capacity building. Mr Governor, continue with the good work. You deserve a second mandate.
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