Lagos will always promote child rights initiatives, says Sanwo-Olu

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who stated this at this year Children Day celebration in Lagos, said his administration’s initiative is aimed at to improving child welfare, promote and celebrate children’s rights and promote togetherness and awareness among children.

He noted that his administration recognised the role education plays in ensuring a better future of the children.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Folashade Jaji, said the theme for this year’s celebration, “A Better Future for Every Child”, was apt as it highlights the principles of the convention on the rights of the child that all children, irrespective of their status and present global situation, should enjoy their rights to survival and development for a better future.

Sanwo-Olu lamented that presently, children are falling victims of many social vices like child abuse, rape, drug abuse, hard labour, violence and others.

“They are denied opportunity to enjoy healthy life, parents love and commitment and other childhood happiness. Children’s day celebration gives us an opportunity to reflect and renew our commitment to build a society that will guarantee for them a better future,” he said.

As part of the state efforts to improve teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools, he said his administration embarked on and commissioned over 1,449 projects covering 1,036 schools across all 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.

The projects, he explained, include construction, renovation, and rehabilitation of dilapidated public schools and supply of composite units of furniture to schools, among other infrastructure projects.

“As a testament to this huge investment, the performance of our students with a minimum of 5 credits including Mathematics and English in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination has improved from 38.79% in 2020 to 80% in 2021.

Through the Eko Excel Programme initiated by our government, we have trained over 15,000 primary school teachers and empowered over 450,000 pupils with personal E-Learning Devices.

“We have transformed teaching and learning in all our public primary schools with the aid of technology. We have also intensified efforts through the Project Zero Programme to curb the rate of out of school children and bring them back to school as our administration has zero tolerance for Out of School Children.

“Our administration is desirous of empowering students with requisite skills for a self-reliant future by providing a suitable path for them based on their skill competence.

“In furtherance of this, I am glad to inform you that we have commenced the comprehensive school programme for secondary school students in 12 schools across the state in the pilot phase.

“The comprehensive school model provides opportunity for students to learn range of vocational skills alongside normal school curriculum. The students are not selected based on academic aptitude but vocation and skills interest. We intend increasing the schools to 50 before the end of the year.

“Our administration will continue to invest in the education of our children and will not relent in maintaining our several educational programmes introduced to develop and boost our human capital, making teaching and learning conducive,” the governor said.

Sanwo-Olu reminded the children that education remains the veritable means of attaining greatness as it helps to prepare individuals for life’s challenges.

“Therefore, there is need for you to strive hard to make your parents and the entire state proud through your acts. This will inspire us the zeal to further fulfill our ambition of raising young individuals and quality leaders that will give us that greater future as a state and nation.

“As children, you cannot afford to toy with your future. I urge you to always dream of a better Nation. Whatever you can conceive, you can achieve, provided you are determined to pay the price.

“This celebration makes a call to our beloved parents and guardians to protect these innocent ones from all harms by providing better childhood in order to give them a promising future,” the governor said.

Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, commended the Sanwo-Olu’s administration for raising the stake of the pupils to higher levels to match their counterparts anywhere in the world by winning laurels at home and abroad.

Adefisayo reminded the students that the Sanwo-Olu’s administration had invested enormously in their education by providing all that they needed to meet their true potentials.

“You are the future of our dear state and nation. Therefore, I implore you to continue to work harder and excel both in academic and co-curricular activities,” she said.

She said the state government had put a lot of facilities at the students’ disposal, urging them to effectively use the facilities to their advantage.