Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans to increase the number of interns under the Ogun Teach initiative from 4,000 to 6,000. The move aims to address the student-to-teacher ratio gap in the state’s public schools.
Speaking at his Oke-Mosan office while hosting the management team of Teach For All and Teach For Nigeria, Abiodun revealed that the monthly stipend for Ogun Teach interns has been raised to N80,000 in line with current economic realities.
“We borrowed from the Teach For All and Teach For Nigeria models to address the teacher-to-student ratio and meet the needs of underserved students,” the governor explained.
“The Ogun Teach program has been highly successful, allowing us to fast-track teacher recruitment while staying within our budgetary limits.”
The governor highlighted the program’s impact, noting that 2,000 of the initial 4,000 interns have already secured permanent employment. He added that plans are underway to recruit an additional 1,000 teachers, bringing the total to 5,000, with a commitment to expanding to 6,000.
Abiodun also emphasized his administration’s broader efforts to improve education in the state, such as implementing the Learners Identification Number to track students and the Education Revitalization Agenda to streamline education delivery.
He assured that Ogun State would continue to absorb qualified fellows from the Teach For Nigeria program, reaffirming the state’s commitment to being a model for educational excellence in the country.
Teach For Nigeria Commends Ogun State
Earlier, Teach For Nigeria CEO, Mrs. Molade Adeniyi, praised the Abiodun-led administration for fostering an enabling environment for the program. She noted that the state government has been highly supportive and open to collaboration, aligning with the administration’s ISEYA mantra.
Adeniyi stated that Teach For Nigeria recruits skilled, disciplined, and passionate individuals for a two-year fellowship aimed at addressing inequities in education and building leadership capacity.
“Our mission is to ensure every child has access to excellent and quality education, and Ogun State has been a significant partner in achieving this goal,” Adeniyi added.
The expansion of the Ogun Teach program underscores the state’s commitment to addressing educational challenges and improving access to quality education for its citizens.