Oyo govt distributes 18,000 tablets to teachers

By Adejayan Gbenga –

The Oyo State Government has distributed 18,000 tablet devices to public primary and secondary school teachers across the state, marking a major step towards modernizing education and improving teaching efficiency.

The initiative, under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme, is sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYSUBEB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The symbolic presentation of the tablets took place at Emmanuel College, Samonda, Ibadan, with Deputy Governor Barrister Adebayo Lawal representing Governor Seyi Makinde. The government also announced a compulsory four-week training programme for all teachers across 16 centres in the state to equip them with the skills needed to fully utilize the devices.

Lawal described the initiative as a bold step towards digitalizing education, noting that the tablets come preloaded with teaching resources, academic materials, and e-learning tools to aid lesson preparation and delivery in line with global best practices.

He stressed the administration’s commitment to transforming education, pointing out that the 2025 budget allocation for the sector exceeds the UNESCO-recommended threshold. The programme, he added, aims to equip teachers with modern tools to improve the quality of education and enhance student learning outcomes.

The tablets are designed to support lesson plan tracking, student performance assessment, and real-time data provision for education planning and policy formulation. Teachers welcomed the devices, noting that they would reduce manual workload and introduce digital skills to classrooms.

Chairman of OYSUBEB, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, praised the government’s efforts to improve education standards, while Special Adviser on Education Intervention and BESDA head, Hon. Suraj Tiamiyu, explained that the devices have security features enabling the government to monitor usage and receive weekly reports.

Among the recipients, Adelakun Folashade and Gbenga Faniran expressed appreciation to Governor Makinde, saying the tablets would make teaching easier and more effective. The event was attended by South West Zonal Director of UBEC, Mr. Alabi Baba Asaaju, state commissioners, and other top officials.