Nigeria: Ogun Govt to Spend N2 Billion On Textbooks

Kehinde Akinyemi25 October 2011
Abeokuta — The Ogun State government will spend about N2 billion on textbooks it intends to provide for six million students in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

The state's Commissioner for Education, John Odubela , who disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta yesterday, said the textbooks would cover all subjects.

The purchase of the textbooks, he said, had been contracted to approved publishers of the ministry.

According to him, public primary schools in the state with the total populations of 368, 087 pupils would have the larger share of the textbooks, in addition to 60 and 40 leaf-notebooks that would be provided for them.

He added that junior secondary schools with a population of 143,034 students and senor secondary schools in the state with a population of 120,057 students would be provided English Language, Mathematics and Biology textbooks.

He assured that in few weeks' time, the textbooks would soon be ready for onward distribution to students.

He however noted that beneficiaries would the books at the end of the session, saying that destroyed ones would be replaced by students.

Odubela explained that the books would be retained at the schools at the

end of the session for the benefit of incoming students.

He also noted that the schools would be mandated to monitor the books, while the government would improve school libraries for safe keeping.

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201110250450.html

rehabilitaion of some school buildings should be included.

The cost seems fair, right?

About $21 per student?

And Ogun State isn't going to dash the books out, but instead loan them. If you lose/destroy/damage your books, you take money from your pocket to replace them at the end of term.

I like this.

Wish there were more details available.

Only other suggestion I have is that Ogun State should also gain copyright over whichever textbooks it uses. And make digital versions freely available.

Good move, I think.

ekt_bear:

The cost seems fair, right?

About $21 per student?

And Ogun State isn't going to dash the books out, but instead loan them. If you lose/destroy/damage your books, you take money from your pocket to replace them at the end of term.

I like this.

Wish there were more details available.

Only other suggestion I have is that Ogun State should also gain copyright over whichever textbooks it uses. And make digital versions freely available.

Good move, I think.

Very, very good move. It is thinking outside the box and I like it. When I was in secondary school in Lagos , circa 20 years ago, we always recieved a list of books we had to buy. I remember many poor students failing because they were unable to buy books. It was tragic seeing them scampering to use the textbooks of others before exams.

That is partly why our education system is rubbish today i.e a total failure to invest in it and put in place proactive measures that ensures every child has the chance to gain a quality education. I have never been a fan of sending children to school for the sake of it i.e without books and without access to the tools that can faciliate robust education.

If Nigeria had been doing this consistently , i.e spending State and FG money on Nigerians, we would not be where we are today. I think Amosun is on the right path and , personally, I am happy to see that it appears Ogun State has a socio-capitalist Governor. The man took a pay court and forced others to do same. If we then keep seeing State money, savings from cuts and income re-invested productively and proactively in the people like this, then it is a no brainer that Ogun will develop well under Amosun.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_capitalism

Social capitalism

The essence of social capitalism is that markets work best and output is maximized through sound social management of the macroeconomy. Social capitalism posits that a strong social support network for the poor enhances capital output. By decreasing poverty, capital market participation is enlarged. Social capitalism also posits that government regulation, and even sponsorship of markets, can lead to superior economic outcomes, as evidenced in government sponsorship of the internet or basic securities regulation.

Do you know where they are getting the books from? Is it books Ogun State wrote themselves. . .?

Or written by someone else that the ministry of education liked and chose for their own curriculum?

ekt_bear:

Do you know where they are getting the books from? Is it books Ogun State wrote themselves. . .?

Or written by someone else that the ministry of education liked and chose for their own curriculum?

The books will be original editions of those approved for use in the Ogun school curriculum. The essential thing to note is that the Ogun State Government has simply taken it upon itself to obtain the books approved for use and make it available to Students on a loan basis for every stage of primary and secondary School education. This directly defeats the cause of failure in many cases i.e poverty that sees many parents unable to buy approved books.

@Ekt-Bear.

You notice there is not much praise for Amosun or Ogun here for this highly commendable and altruistic action. The power of bad belle indeed.  Meanwhile, let the usual spambot, attack NL virulently for 2 days only with lies about Amosun and you will see many, like zombies, ready to regurgitate lies and fabrication while totally ignoring innovative and pro-people initiative like this. I feel sorry for Nigerians. We are so easy to divide so that some folks can keep conquering.

Where are the books coming from? They should get books f rom Nigerian publishers

The only wish I had is that Ogun would, rather than buying copies of books with copyright owned by someone else, would ensure that it controls the copyright of the books used in its school system.

This will make it cheaper to upgrade/change your curriculum over time.

Anyway, this is a good first step.

Regarding your comment @Gbawe, their praise isn't needed or wanted. Progress is all I care about, personally

This is the same way that all the schools I've attended operate.

The school district owns copies of the books needed. You check them out at the beginning of the year. And if you return them undamaged at the end of the year, then you pay nothing (but if you damage the books, you pay a fee.)

So I didn't pay any money for books until I got to college.

ekt_bear:

This is the same way that all the schools I've attended operate.

The school district owns copies of the books needed. You check them out at the beginning of the year. And if you return them undamaged at the end of the year, then you pay nothing (but if you damage the books, you pay a fee.)

So I didn't pay any money for books until I got to college.

You'd be surprised how something that sounds this fundamentally required , especially for a nation with a failing education sector like Nigeria, is still so difficult to implement effectively . The main culprit is leadership cluelessness and indifference i.e successive leaders who do not give a toss because they can always send their kids abroad or to the best schools in Nigeria.

How much was spent on this same scheme last year? And the year before?. Where, if any, did that end up? Where are these books stored?? In non existent schools? Abegi fix our schools for our children.

I hope this school below will receive some of the books if they have where to keep them.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-790034.0.html

2billion indeed

Good move from Ogun STate ACN governor.

Gbawe I can remember those days when they would give us List of books and many students would be unable to buy

Cool Scam

ak47mann:

2billion indeed

There are a total of 631,178 students in Ogun state, Divided by 2billion makes it an average of 3,168 per student. This sounds very fair and logical to me.

If they ask individual parent to buy books needed for school, Do you think each parent would spend less than that to buy the required books?

this is highly commendable as our children nowadays have lost the reading culture known to us when we were growing up

dayokanu:

Good move from Ogun STate ACN governor.

Gbawe I can remember those days when they would give us List of books and many students would be unable to buy

Indeed . So you will understand , first-hand,  the importance of this initiative. Many students used to fail because they were looking for textbooks to read literally a day to the exam while other Students had been swotting for weeks and preparing adequately. Of course the system was rigged against the children from poorer homes. Other States should carry this out because it will help matters although tackling a worsening reading culture is another headache.

ekt_bear:


He however noted that beneficiaries would the books at the end of the session, saying that destroyed ones would be replaced by students.

Odubela explained that the books would be retained at the schools at the

end of the session for the benefit of incoming students.

He also noted that the schools would be mandated to monitor the books, while the government would improve school libraries for safe keeping.

This is fair enough although in those days we didn't return the free books to the government because they belonged to us. . This means some sort of identification marks have to be on the books to prevent mix-ups. The price per student also seems fair enough.

It's important that governments invest in education and try to return sanity to public schools. On this note, this is a good plan.

Ok ooooo may God help the gov to continue to do good work like this.
Hahaha see my Pastor with Amosu.

dayokanu:

There are a total of 631,178 students in Ogun state, Divided by 2billion makes it an average of 3,168 per student. This sounds very fair and logical to me.

If they ask individual parent to buy books needed for school, Do you think each parent would spend less than that to buy the required books?

am not saying is not a good thing just wondering if that 2billion can be utilized well,in that 2billion some politicians will get cut from it.
That is the problem with nigeria, someone told me that his state governor takes 20% from any contract given to you, and it will not end there his permanent secretaries will get their cut too.
By the time it reaches the common man 40% of the money is gone through bribery and corruption

Cool scam indeed.


It is never the job of the govt to provide textbooks for students. Textbooks is a  luxury, in the grand scheme of things, especially in Nigeria where there isnt that much money for more important things. When the students dont have teachers to explain what is written in the textbook, how are the students supposed to learn from the textbook? By osmosis?

The problem with education in Nigeria is that many children  receive an inadequate education because of poorly trained, underpaid teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of basic teaching tools such as blackboards, and pens and paper. Providing textbooks to children willy-nilly is just like putting a band-aid on a very deep, open wound.  Wrong priorities! Another ACN propaganda gobbled up by our ever intellectual diasporans



The govt should focus on making the teachers more competent and enthusiastic to do their job, instead of wasting money providing textbooks that will have to be provided again next year and the year after. Another waste of public fund. Only god knows how much of that two billion will find its way to Tinubu's Swiss account. Oh well, up ACN

Gbawe:

Indeed . So you will understand , first-hand,  the importance of this initiative. [b]Many students used to fail because they were looking for textbooks to read literally a day to the exam while other Students had been swotting for weeks and preparing adequately. [/b]Of course the system was rigged against the children from poorer homes. Other States should carry this out because it will help matters although tackling a worsening reading culture is another headache.

You were looking for textbooks to read in primary school?

Pray tell which textbook were you reading in Primary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?

Oniro agbaya. Obviously, you didnt go to primary school in Nigeria, maybe you attended primary school in Timbuktu, who knows?

is he aware of the flooded roads d children wil be hiking 2 school? or the books are water resistance?

arsenefc:

You were looking for textbooks to read in primary school?

Pray tell which textbook were you reading in Primary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?

Oniro agbaya. Obviously, you didnt go to primary school in Nigeria, maybe you attended primary school in Timbuktu, who knows?

You mean you didnt read NOEC, Macmillan English textbook?

Alawiye Yoruba?

Lacombes maths? etc?

Wonderful news. On this school?

www.nairaland.com/attachments/557431_Ogun1_jpg57160e6ad47cd6f6179bcbb19f78d20a


http://saharareporters.com/photo/photonews-former-gov-gbenga-daniels-legacy-worst-primary-school-earth-ogun-state

I'm tired of most of you on Nairaland eh, if people do, they will complain , if they don't, complain. Like seriously, how can we please ourselves without complain?


People are complaining rehabilitate the schools, some say fix the roads first because the books aren't water resistant, like seriously? For the first time on this thread @dayokanu has made some sense on here,

Like someone said, $21 every school year ain't that bad, I think it's what we need; a step in the right direction.

pix

I remember when I was in primary school and my mum could not afford to buy all my textbooks, there were days I was sent out of school because I did not have the textbooks and this was late 70s early 80s, now imagine if a governor had given me textbooks free then, my mum would have saved her meagre income and I would have had good books to read, it is only those born with a silver spoon that will not see how fantastic this development is. There are two equalizers in this world, Education and the Internet.

arsenefc:

You were looking for textbooks to read in primary school?

Pray tell which textbook were you reading in Primary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?

Oniro agbaya. Obviously, you didnt go to primary school in Nigeria, maybe you attended primary school in Timbuktu, who knows?

man mi, pay attention.

When I was in secondary school in Lagos , circa 20 years ago, we always recieved a list of books we had to buy. I remember many poor students failing because they were unable to buy books. It was tragic seeing them scampering to use the textbooks of others before exams.

hercules07:

I remember when I was in primary school and my mum could not afford to buy all my textbooks, there were days I was sent out of school because I did not have the textbooks and this was late 70s early 80s, now imagine[b] if a governor had given me textbooks free then, my mum would have saved her meagre income and I would have had good books to read, it is only those born with a silver spoon that will not see how fantastic this development is.[/b] There are two equalizers in this world, Education and the Internet.

Indeed. This is a good initiative no doubt.