The Wife of Nigeria’s President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has donated 50,000 notebooks under her “Renewed Hope Initiative” project to public primary schools in Kogi.
The distribution of the notebooks was flagged off on Thursday by the wife of Kogi State Governor, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, at Glass House, Government House Lokoja.
In her remarks, Hajia Ododo appreciated the President’s wife for her commitment to education development and empowerment of children in public schools across the country.
She commended Mrs Tinubu for her visionary leadership and passion for ensuring quality education for all, stressing that the initiative remained an inspiration worthy of emulation.
The Kogi governor’s wife promised to continue to emulate and support Nigeria’s first lady for a better output, noting that the notebooks were being distributed across the 36 States of the federation.
Mrs Ododo urged the people of Kogi to continue to support her husband to take Kogi to greater heights.
She reaffirmed the governor’s commitment to continue bridging the gaps in ensuring quality education in the state.
She advised the pupils to take their studies seriously while urging the stakeholders to ensure equitable distribution of the notebooks across public primary schools in the state.
Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Mr Wemi Jones, commended the wife of the President for the gesture towards the development of education in Kogi State.
Jones emphasised that education palliative remained the most sustainable assistance to the people, stressing that Gov. Ododo’s administration would not compromise the educational needs of Kogi children.
“We are indeed very grateful to the wife of the President for the gesture because palliative in education is the most sustainable palliative that you can give because education is the bedrock of any development,” he said
Jones stressed that the former Governor, Alh Yahaya Bello, handed over to Ododo who had been trained and groomed to take education to another higher level in Kogi State.
The Commissioner assured that the necessary structure had been put in place to ensure that the notebooks get to the targeted beneficiaries.
Jones reaffirmed the commitment of Ododo’s administration to ensure that education remained free at basic and secondary levels in public schools across the state.
“Education is free in Kogi. We are paying for all exams; both internal and external examinations at basic and secondary school levels in the state.
“As a ministry, we are irreversibly committed to taking education to higher level in Kogi because we have a governor that is fully ready and committed to education development,” Jones said.
On her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Fatima Momoh appreciated Mrs Tinubu’s efforts in improving education standards in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Education Secretaries in the state, the Chairman Forum of Education Secretaries, Mall. Salihu Usman appreciated the initiative and promised to ensure the distribution with fairness.
The highlight of the occasion was the flag off of the notebooks’ distribution by Kogi first lady, who subsequently handed them over to the commissioner for education for onward distribution to pupils across the state.
