By OLADELE ABIODUN GBENGA
September 25/09/2026
We are called the Fountain of Knowledge for a reason. In the old Western Region, Ekiti people were known for one thing – we value education more than gold. Our fathers sold cocoa to send children to school. A family that had 5 professors was a normal thing in Ekiti.
But today, if we are honest, that pride is fading.
WHERE WE GOT IT WRONG
Ekiti education that produced great scholars like Aare Afe Babalola, Prof. Akin Oyebode and many great icons is now struggling.
Go to many public primary schools in Ekiti today, you will see dilapidated buildings with no chairs. Many of our secondary schools have no science lab. Students learn Biology by cramming, not by practical.
The quality of teachers is another problem. Many qualified teachers have retired and were not replaced. Some that were employed are not paid well, so they do private lessons during school hours to survive. The result? Ekiti that used to come 1st in WAEC and NECO is now struggling among the top 15 states.
Our tertiary institutions – EKSU, BOUESTI, and College of Education – are also facing underfunding and incessant strikes.
THE REAL DANGER
The most painful part is that being educated no longer translates to being employable. We have First Class graduates in Ado who cannot write a good application letter or use a computer. Our education has become certificate-focused, not skill-focused.
While the world is moving to tech, robotics, and digital skills, we are still teaching with 1990s notes. A child in Ikole should be able to code, not just recite definitions.
WHAT WE MUST DO
If we must reclaim our name as Fountain of Knowledge, we must act now:
1. Revamp Basic Education: Government must declare a state of emergency on primary and secondary schools. Renovate structures, equip laboratories, and provide free digital learning tablets for SS1 to SS3 students.
2. Retrain and Motivate Teachers: Organize yearly retraining for teachers. Introduce a special Ekiti Teacher Reward – best teacher in each LGA gets a car or house incentive. A motivated teacher will build a generation.
3. Merge Education with Skills: From JSS2, every Ekiti student must learn a skill – Coding, Solar Installation, Fashion Design, Agric Processing. So that if they don’t go to university, they can still employ others.
4. Community Participation:* Let successful Ekiti sons and daughters adopt schools. The old students association should not just do reunion party with beer, they should adopt a block of classrooms, a library, or sponsor 20 students’ WAEC fees.
Ekiti has no oil. Our oil is our brain. If we allow our education to die, we have killed our future.
The time to revitalise Ekiti education is not tomorrow. It is today.
Long live Ekiti State, the Fountain of Knowledge.
