On his assumption of office in October 16 2010, the Ekiti State governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, unveiled an eight-point agenda with education and human capital development entrenched in the policy thrust as fourth leg of the transformational agenda to reinvigorate and revamp the state’ educational sector.
To achieve this, the ministry of education, science and technology was created with a clear vision on the need to put in place a well-structured reform that will change the face of education, being the heritage of Ekiti people.
Brilliant and experienced minds were engaged to be part of a task force/ visitation panel to help identify the problems plaguing the sector, as well as proffer solution to the identified challenges.
The well-researched reports of the panel led to the convocation of the Ekiti State Education Summit, chaired by the late Professor of Economics, Prof. Sam Aluko held between May 4 and 5, 2011.
Participants at the summit in their paper presentations and deliberations on primary, secondary, and vocational education as well as information and communication technology, made quite a number recommendations on various sub-themes of the summit.
The recommendations include, capacity building for teachers in both primary and secondary schools across the state, improved funding of the sector, provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools and provision of incentives for teachers working in rural areas, among others.
In addition to what the past government has been able to do in terms of ICT development in the state, the present administration in Ekiti has taken a bold step to revolutionize the usage of computer and other internet facilities among teachers and students in the state secondary schools.
Observers said that it did not come as a surprise to many people in the state when the commissioner for education, science and technology in the state Dr. Eniola Ajayi, revealed that a whopping sum N6 billion would be expended on the procurement of 100,000 units of computers for students in all 923 public schools in the state.
Mrs. Ajayi also told reporters in Ado Ekiti that the state government also took delivery of N16 million worth of brailed computers from USA for the physically challenged students (the blind and deaf) in the state public secondary schools, to enhance their learning.
The project, according to the commissioner, would be prosecuted by the Governor Fayemi-led administration within the next three academic sessions.
She said that the move was in line with the federal government policy of making computer education and application compulsory in all secondary schools across the country.
The commissioner confirmed that 33,000 students out of the 95,000 students and science teachers would benefit from the solar-panel computers that would be distributed in phases between 2012 and 2014.
She explained that students who had benefitted from the same policy initiated by the immediate past government of Engr. Segun Oni would not be exempted but with the condition that the old computers shall be withdrawn from them after receiving the new ones.
She stressed that the government had spoken to the teachers who are to benefit from the programme that the money for the computer would be deducted from their salaries within the next 24 months.
This is to complement some of the government efforts geared towards making the students and teachers alike to be computer literate. Also on the card is the provision of internet facilities to the state library board along with 13 computer sets and tables.
The sum of N8 million was equally approved for the three special schools in the state for the purchase of brail computers to equip the school.
The first phase of the laptop computer distribution exercise was flagged off by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on March 14, 2012. The epoch making event, held at the African Church Comprehensive High school, Ikere Ekiti saw the governor distributing 11,000 units of laptop computer to students and teachers of public secondary schools in the state.
The number handed out at the ceremony which marked the first phase of the distribution represents 1/3 of the total 33,000 units of laptop computers to be distributed to students and teachers under the e-Project.
The project,? a collaboration between Ekiti State government and electronic giants, Samsung West Africa Limited and MICROSOFT, a global trademark in software technology, would afford normal students and the physically-challenged students the opportunity of having their own special laptop computers to enable them enjoy the benefits of ICT.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Fayemi explained that the gesture was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to make laptops available on the desk of each student in public secondary schools in the state before year 2014.
He noted that many people including politicians and members of the public see it as a herculean task, which was so difficult to achieve given the limited resources available to the state.
Fayemi who said the project was a dream come true, urged the students to take advantage of the various instructional materials coupled with the conducive learning environment provided by the government to excel in their academic pursuit.
“The future is in your hands; I urge you to take it; be the best that you can be. On our part as government, we will continue to provide you with the necessary support to ensure you realize your dreams,” he stated.
The governor was assisted by his deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, to distribute the laptops.
All Secondary schools students in the 16 local government areas in the state will benefit from the solar powered laptop computers, which have components such as webcam, three USB ports, power pack, dual soft education software, Norton anti-virus, Skype, adobe, Microsoft Access 2010, Microsoft Excel 2010, Microsoft Info path designer 2010 and Microsoft Power point 2010, among others.
To ensure the sustenance of the scheme and to give necessary support to the ICT goals of his administration, the governor disclosed that the Samsung West Africa Limited has agreed to establish a computer assembly plant in the state.
The governor pointed out that the distribution of the laptops to teachers and students of public schools was intended to empower them to compete favourably with their colleagues in other climes with a confidence to outshine them.
With the realisation of the goal, Fayemi said that the move to make Ekiti the ICT capital of Nigeria has commenced and that it would be complement with the launch of Ekiti digital platform, biometric payroll, e-payment IGR system and the laying of fiber-optic cables in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
He said, “Our government has gone this far to ensure that everything is done to make us stand shoulders higher than other states by recreating our feat in the areas of academic excellence that our land was in the time past identified with.
“This is why it has become very imperative for those involved in the teaching and learning process to be computer-literate in line with global standard of knowledge acquisition. Indeed, given the huge investment on this computer for all secondary school students’ initiative, some might even deem it as a waste. I would like to assure those who might harbour such erroneous impression that nothing could be further from the truth”.
The accounts manager of Samsung West Africa Limited, Mr. Fauno Nadah, said the feat achieved by Ekiti State government is already making waves in South Korea. He said the service centre to be located in the state was a commitment by the corporation to sustain the project and support the government to pursue its ICT goals and take education to greater heights.
The director, development platform of MICROSOFT in West, East and Central Africa, Mr. Dele Akinsade said the organisation would install developer software on the laptops.
He added the applications that could assist blind students would be installed on the Braille computers given to them.