Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, declared the Edo International Book and Arts Festival open, reiterating his administration’s commitment to prioritizing quality education for children in the state.
The festival which had as its theme; ‘Every Child a Reading Champion’, held at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub, in Benin City, on June 5, 2024.
The Governor remarked that with the investment made so far by his administration in revamping the education sector of the state, he is confident that children in the state can comfortably and favorably compete with their peers wherever they find themselves.
Obaseki said: “We are here this morning to celebrate another Edo International Book and Arts festival. This is the second edition, which means to say that this festival has now come to stay.
“So children, don’t worry, if I am no longer Governor, you have the right and I will join you to ask whoever is Governor, to make sure we have this festival because it is about you. When we came to office almost eight years ago, we told you that our purpose of being in government is about the next generation; it is about you. And we have no regrets that we have made the investments that we have made in education for your sake today.
“We have always been a civilization throughout our history. Five hundred or more years ago in this land, we expressed ourselves very creatively through our arts, our poetry, our form of government; we were able to build an empire that lasted centuries.
“It is the same blood that flowed in the veins of our ancestors, who did those great things, who built the moats, who created the amazing works of art that decorate museums all over the world; it is the same blood that flows in your veins. So, you can be as creative as they were then. In fact, you, Edo children, are genetically designed for creativity”.
The Governor who noted his contentment with the results attained so far in the education sector of the state via laudable reforms and policies by his administration, expressed optimism towards a brighter future for every Edo child.
He said: “That is why as a government, we have done everything possible to revamp our educational system, to make sure that from a very early age in life, you know how to read.
I am very glad, even though I am not surprised, that today, with what we have done with our education system in Edo State, particularly foundational education, you compare favorably with your peers anywhere in the world in terms of reading and numeracy skills.”
In her address, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, commended the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the state’s education system, noting that the opening of the book and arts festival marks a new beginning in enriching the educational culture and literacy among students in Edo.
According to Oviawe, “The whole idea for this festival is to engender or re-engender a culture of literacy, particularly among our students and people. That is why the theme for our festival is ‘Every Child a Reading Champion’.
“Your Excellency, the next few days that we are going to be hosting this festival, it is going to be all about literacy; it is all about an appreciation for the arts by our learners, both in public and private schools. We have over 60 exhibitors here and before the end of the festival we expect to have more”.
Oviawe, while highlighting the gains achieved so far by the state in the education sector through effective policy and infrastructural reforms, stated that Edo is now considered an accelerator country, ranking among renowned international countries in terms of impact in literacy and numeracy skills.
“Finally, for our parents here, I want to remind all of you that in Edo State, under the EdoBEST reform agenda, our target as a Ministry of Education and as an education ecosystem, is your child.
“We want to continue to make progress in terms of our literacy targets. It is because of the progress we have made in literacy, that is why today, Edo State is considered globally as an accelerator country.
“We are not a country, we are a state, but we have been placed in the same league as countries like Brazil, Pakistan, Ecuador, Rwanda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique, because of what we have done to improve literacy and numeracy in Edo State”, Oviawe said.
