A total of 23 schools located in Atiba, Afijio, Oyo East, and Oyo West local government areas of Oyo State, which had been closed for a decade, have been reopened by the state administration. Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, made this announcement in a statement issued on Thursday.
Oyelade explained that the reopening of these schools followed the resolution of a longstanding land dispute among the communities. The resolution was achieved during a stakeholders’ meeting convened at the Western Hall, Ibadan, chaired by the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who also serves as the Chairman of the state’s Boundary Dispute committee.
Lawal urged all stakeholders in the affected communities to prioritize peace, warning against any actions that could disrupt the tranquility of the areas. He also urged lawmakers representing the affected communities to collaborate with traditional leaders and other relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the dispute.
Expressing the government’s commitment to the education sector, Lawal emphasized the imperative of reopening the schools closed for a decade. He stressed that this directive came directly from the governor, emphasizing the importance of considering the future of the affected children.
Among the affected schools are Community Basic School Obananko, Community Basic School Laagbe, Pinnock Memorial Baptist School Aba Epo Oluwatedo, Baptist Basic School Oluwatedo, St. Luke Anglican Bada Idiyalode, L.A. Basic School Ago Oyo, and Community Basic School Igbo Olose in Oyo West LG, among others.
In a bid to address the issue of out-of-school children, the state government initiated a program in 2023 aimed at enrolling 1.5 million out-of-school children following the successful return of students to classrooms under the BESDA program between 2017 and 2022.
