Stakeholders Laud Ogun Free Trade Zone’s Education Programme

**James Sowole **in Abeokuta

Education stakeholders and community leaders in Igbesa, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area in Ogun State have commended the Ogun–Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) for its sustained investment in educational development across its host communities.

The leaders described the OGFTZ interventions as significant contributions to improving learning opportunities, nurturing talents and shaping the future of young people.

The stakeholders, who spoke during separate interactions with journalists, highlighted the impact of its educational initiatives, particularly the establishment of the China–Nigeria Friendship Model School, scholarship opportunities for deserving students and various academic, sporting and extracurricular programmes.

Speaking on the zone’s contributions, Mr. Joseph Ibikunle, head of Academics and School Services at the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Education Authority, described OGFTZ’s educational interventions in the community for the past 15 years as remarkable and worthy of commendation.

Ibikunle noted that the zone had consistently supported learners through interventions in school infrastructure, the provision of educational materials, and scholarship opportunities for deserving students.

According to him, these sustained contributions had positively influenced the learning environment and created opportunities for students across the host communities.

He expressed appreciation to the management of OGFTZ for its continued commitment to educational development, urging the organisation to sustain its interventions, which he said had made a meaningful difference in the lives of learners across the local government.

Also speaking, High Chief Ezekiel Adewumi Durojaiye, the Otunba Amona of Igbesa, identified the establishment of the China–Nigeria Friendship Model School as one of the most significant contributions of the zone to the community.

He observed that since the arrival of OGFTZ and the establishment of the school, Igbesa had increasingly become associated with China, to the extent that residents and visitors sometimes jokingly refer to the town as “China in Nigeria.”

Describing the school’s impact as remarkable, Durojaiye recalled discussions surrounding its development during the visit of the Chinese Consul-General, expressing optimism that the institution would continue to grow.

He said the community would welcome the expansion of the school to accommodate secondary education, and eventually, tertiary-level programmes, adding that such development would further strengthen educational opportunities for children in the area.

In a similar account, Chief Ajidagba Jamiu, family head of Ilu Idofin in Igbesa, highlighted the personal impact of the zone’s educational intervention, revealing that four of his children attended the China–Nigeria Friendship School.

He also disclosed that some indigenes of the community had benefited from OGFTZ-funded scholarships to study in China and had completed their studies, with some now working in their respective professional fields.

While expressing appreciation for the zone’s contributions, he appealed for an expansion of the scholarship programme to accommodate more students from the host communities.

He noted that increasing the number of scholarship beneficiaries would give more young people access to quality education and the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that could contribute to the development of their communities.

The Chairman of the Igbesa Educational Committee, Alhaji Saheed Animashaun, also commended the OGFTZ partnership for its consistent educational and developmental programmes over the past three years.

According to him, the zone has maintained a deliberate commitment to organising initiatives that promote the educational advancement and overall development of children in the host communities, with hardly a year passing without at least one programme designed for their benefit.

He identified the annual Children’s Day celebrations, which bring together primary and secondary school pupils, as one of the initiatives through which the Zone recognises and encourages young people.

Beyond the celebrations, Animashaun said OGFTZ had consistently organised academic, sporting and cultural competitions, including quiz and recitation contests, football, athletics and dancing competitions, providing platforms for students to discover and develop their abilities.

He explained that these activities had helped build students’ confidence, encouraged healthy competition and demonstrated that public schools in the host communities are home to talented, intelligent and promising young people.

The Education Committee chairman particularly emphasised the importance of these initiatives in identifying and nurturing talents beyond the conventional classroom environment.

He added that participating students were rewarded with various gifts and prizes, including musical instruments, mowing machines, educational materials and other useful items, describing the incentives as additional motivation for students to work harder and pursue excellence.

Animashaun maintained that investment in education remained one of the most valuable contributions any organisation could make to society, noting that developing the intellectual capacity and talents of young people was essential to building responsible future leaders.

He, therefore, expressed appreciation to OGFTZ for its sustained commitment to educational development, urging the Zone to continue its interventions for the benefit of present and future generations.