Governor Seyi Makinde has disclosed that about 65,000 out-of-school children have been returned to classrooms in Oyo State through targeted education interventions of his administration.

The governor made this known while receiving a delegation on the BESDA-AF implementation support mission of the World Bank and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) during a courtesy visit to the Executive Council Chamber, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

Makinde said Oyo State has significantly benefitted from the Better Education Service Delivery for Additional Financing (BESDA-AF) intervention programme, noting that it has strengthened access to education and improved service delivery across the state’s education sector.

He thanked the World Bank and UBEC for providing both technical and financial support, and assured that his administration would continue to deploy the required resources to fully access funds allocated to the state under the new funding cycle.

“The government and people of Oyo State appreciate the World Bank and the Universal Basic Education Commission for finding Oyo State worthy to be part of this programme,” Makinde said.

“I understand that you will be embarking on field visits. We look forward to your feedback. If there are areas where we need to improve, or issues we may not yet have considered but which could significantly enhance outcomes, we are open to your recommendations and will take them seriously.”

Earlier, the UBEC team lead and National Programme Coordinator, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the mission would assess the level of implementation of the BESDA-AF project in the state, identify challenges, and make recommendations for improvement.

He commended the Oyo State Government for its strong commitment and support toward the successful execution of the programme.

Also speaking, the World Bank team lead, Mr Shinsaku Nomura, praised Governor Makinde for reforms in the education sector, particularly efforts aimed at expanding access to quality education at all levels.