Out-of-school-children: Ogun Govt embarks on enrolment drive

The Ogun State Government has commenced a statewide school enrolment drive as part of measures to tackle the out-of-school children challenge and reduce the figure to the barest minimum.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, disclosed this while leading an enrolment drive exercise for the 2026/2027 academic session across the four divisions of the state.

Arigbabu said the exercise, which took the team to market places and motor parks, is aimed at sensitising parents and guardians to enrol their children of school age.

He urged parents with children between three and six years of age to take them to any nearby public primary school for free registration.

According to him, the enrolment drive initiative has been in effect since the inception of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration as part of its commitment to free and qualitative education.

“This is what we have been doing from the inception of the present administration and we have seen improvement in the enrolment. With the level of enthusiasm and feedback towards the drive, we envisioned that more children would be brought to school as this will drastically reduce out-of-school phenomenon in Ogun State,” Arigbabu said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Oluwatosin Oloko, appealed to market women to stop using their wards for hawking during school hours.

Oloko urged parents to take advantage of the free education policy of the state government to enrol their children and secure their future.

On his part, the Chairman, Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Ogun State Chapter, Tajudeen Adeosun, assured that headteachers and teachers are on ground to register pupils.

Adeosun said registration for the 2026/2027 academic session is ongoing daily from 9am to 1pm in all public primary schools across the state.

In their separate remarks, the Iyalojas of Oke-Aje, Ilaro, Lanfewa, Elega and Kuto markets, Chief Mrs. Risikatu Idowu, Sidikat Owe, Nuratu Okanlawon and Iswat Adewuyi, commended the government for its commitment to ensuring every child in the state has access to education.