Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has flagged off the distribution of motorcycles to School Support Officers and School Mobilisation Officers, as well as 72,000 notebooks to learners across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state.
The event was held on Monday at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, according to a statement by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
Governor Makinde, represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, said the intervention demonstrated his administration’s commitment to making education more accessible, inclusive and effective.
He described the initiative as an investment in the people and structures supporting children’s education, noting that school support and mobilisation officers serve as a link between schools, families and communities.
According to him, the officers play important roles in identifying out-of-school children, encouraging enrolment and retention, and ensuring that children have access to education.
The governor said the motorcycles would enable the officers to reach communities more quickly and perform their duties more efficiently.
He said the initiative, implemented under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) AF TESS Project, complements other efforts by the state government and its partners to strengthen basic education and improve learning outcomes.
Governor Makinde urged beneficiaries to use the motorcycles responsibly and strictly for official duties, stressing that they are public assets meant to serve communities.
He also called on school authorities, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders to work with the officers to ensure that the intervention benefits children who need it most.
The governor encouraged pupils to make good use of the learning materials, attend school regularly and remain committed to their studies.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Intervention, Suraj Tiamiy, said the initiative would strengthen links between schools and communities, improve enrolment and attendance, and support efforts to identify and return out-of-school children.
The event was attended by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Olayiwola; Chairperson of the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission, Olubukola Oladipo; and Executive Assistant to the Governor on BESDA, Olatoye Olusina, among others.