A DAY THE BLACKBOARD SHONE LIKE GOLD: GOVERNOR LUCKY AIYEDATIWA AND THE DAWN OF LEARNING IN ONDO STATE
by Dr. Menukuro Frank
The morning of Thursday, the 8th of May, 2025 was smooched by euphoric hopes, celebration, and historic fulfilment at the St. James Mega Primary School, Irowo, Akure amidst pomp and pageantry — it was a day that wore the robe of promise and ambition like an ancient king anointed by destiny. The school ground, usually calm was ruptured with routine footfalls, throbbed with anticipation. Children in neatly pressed uniforms, eyes sparkling like morning dew, awaited something greater than they could name. Something noble. Something transformative.
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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa—himself,who was once a king of the classrooms, a teacher emeritus, who knows the texture of a blackboard and the weight of a lesson plan—had come not only to give but to teach. And teaching, he did. With the ease of a seasoned pedagogue, an accomplished educationist and the heart of a father, he stepped into the classroom not as a politician, but as a nurturer of minds. The students learned and answered questions with satisfactions and enthusiasms and reflected on their dreams buoyed by a leader, who spoke from experience, his words sowed seeds that was deep and inspiring.
Books were handed out like keys to hidden treasures. Tablets glowed with the fire of modern knowledge. Sports equipments gleamed in the sunlight, promising the galvanizing of hidden talents, teamwork, and joy. And the children—they were elated, they sang, they danced. In their jubilant voices echoed the truth of the Yoruba proverb: “Ti a bá fi ọgbọ́n ṣe’kó, a máa fi ọlá ṣe é”—”When wisdom leads the way in teaching, honor will follow in learning.”
The atmosphere brimmed with a rare kind of glee—the kind that surfaces when hope becomes tangible. Teachers stood straighter and smarter . Parents sighed with pride.
Community leaders whispered blessings. It was a scene that would be told again and again, like the tale of a river that began as a stream and now waters the land. Governor Aiyedatiwa’s achievements in education are not merely ceremonial; they are structural. From the rehabilitation of dilapidated classrooms across rural and urban areas,payment of scholarships, bursaries and WAEC fees to the recruitment of qualified teachers and the digitization of school resources, he has shown that the pen is mightier not only than the sword, but also stronger than silence and decay.
He believes, as Nelson Mandela once declared, that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Under his administration, the Ondo State Educational Trust Fund has been reinvigorated, scholarships have been revived, and the school laboratories and libraries have been equipped— Governor Aiyedatiwa’s educational initiatives resonate across the state, emphasizing the transformative power of education.
In the words of an African proverb, *”He who learns, teaches.”* By investing in education, the governor is not only nurturing individual potentials but also cultivating a generation that will, in turn, uplift others.
And what of the future? Governor Aiyedatiwa envisions an Ondo State where every child, whether in the creeks of Ilaje and Ese-odo, the hills of Idanre or the lush rural areas of Akoko will have access to quality, functional education. He plans to deepen digital learning, establish smart classrooms, and build teachers capacity through consistent training. Like the wise farmer in the old tale who sows in both planting and dry seasons, the Governor understands that the fruits of education blossom across generations.
Let it be said: On that bright day in Akure, it wasn’t just books, sports equipments and tablets that were shared—it was vision. And like the Igbo proverb says, “He who teaches a child builds a nation.” Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is building more than schools; he is laying the foundation stones of a golden future.. A popular Yoruba proverb aptly captured the moment: “Ẹkọ ni kìí tan l’ọ́jà, ẹni tí kò bá kó, ní í bàjẹ́,” — “Education never goes out of fashion; it is the one who fails to learn that becomes irrelevant.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s vision is clear: an Ondo State where every child, regardless of background, can stand tall in any classroom in the world. As the sun set behind the walls of St. James Mega Primary School, it was evident that a new dawn had begun—not just for education in Ondo State, but for the future of its children
Dr. Menukuro Frank, FCCA is a Public Affairs Analyst