From chalkboards to civilisation: Okpebholo’s footprints in education 

August 21, 2025 by Our Reporter

• By Fred Itua

History teaches us that no great civilisation ever emerged without first laying a solid foundation in education. From the intellectual traditions of ancient Greece to the scholarly vigour of the Arab world during the Golden Age, and the technological revolutions of modern Asia, societies that invested in knowledge created legacies that outlived kings and empires.

The strength of nations has never rested solely on armies or wealth, but on the quality of minds they cultivated. Education has always been the invisible architecture upon which enduring prosperity is built.

It is within this context that the latest approvals by the Edo State Executive Council, under the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebholo, must be understood. The projects—ranging from lecture theatres and hostels at Ambrose Alli University, to the remodelling of secondary schools, and the renovation of basic schools—are not mere brick-and-mortar initiatives.

They are deliberate steps in anchoring the state’s future on the same principle that guided the rise of great civilisations: the nurturing of young minds through robust educational infrastructure.

At the heart of the approvals is a recognition that no student—in primary, secondary, or tertiary institution—should be denied the dignity of learning in an environment that inspires creativity, nurtures discipline, and expands opportunities. The construction of a 1,500-seater lecture theatre, two additional 300-capacity lecture theatres, and a 600-bed hostel at AAU, Ekpoma, is not merely a physical intervention.

It is a bold statement that the state is serious about giving its undergraduates a foundation that matches the demands of a knowledge-driven world. For years, overcrowded lecture halls and inadequate hostels have undermined university experience. These facilities, once completed, will reposition AAU not just as a citadel of learning but as an incubator of dreams.

The decision to remodel and rebuild eight secondary schools, with start of Phase 3 of the Basic Schools Renovation Programme, speaks to continuity. The beneficiaries, Ovia North East, Ikpoba-Okha, Etsako West, Esan West, and Uhunmwonde, etc, indicate a governance philosophy prioritising balance and equity.

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It is here that we see the seeds of enduring legacies—when the government ensures that a child in Iruekpen learns under the same quality of roof as a child in Benin. When rural children are given classrooms that inspire them to compete with their peers in Lagos, Abuja, or even beyond Nigeria, the state is quietly rewriting its future.

Yet, an enduring legacy for students is not only about classrooms and lecture theatres. It is also about the ecosystem that supports education. The approval for new markets in Orhionmwon, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia North East, and Jatu in Edo North, as well as the provision of 25 transformers in oil-producing communities, demonstrates a profound understanding that education and commerce are interconnected.

Thriving markets ensure that parents can trade and earn enough to send their children to school. Steady power supply means schools can integrate digital learning tools that prepare students for the realities of the 21st century. A child who studies in a well-lit environment, goes home to electricity, and whose parents are financially empowered to provide school supplies, is better positioned to succeed.

Importantly, these approvals are not about cement, steel, or bricks; they are about human capital. They are about a little girl in Uhunmwonde who, in a few years, will walk into a renovated classroom with confidence. They are about a young man in Ekpoma who will no longer stand through a lecture because the hall is too crowded. They are about the child in Ovia North East whose school uniform will not be soaked in rain because the classroom roof has collapsed. These are the real faces of enduring legacies—the quiet transformations that ripple through generations.

Governor Okpebholo’s administration must, therefore, be commended not just for approving these projects but for threading them together into a coherent vision. To build lecture theatres without addressing basic schools would be incomplete.

To upgrade schools without strengthening commerce would be shortsighted. To expand markets without electrification would leave gaps. What we are witnessing is a holistic approach that recognises education as an enabler and a beneficiary of broader social transformation.

In approving the projects, Edo has taken a step in the right direction. But in completing them and ensuring they truly serve students, the state will engrave its name in the book of enduring legacies. The classrooms we build today will determine the leaders we present tomorrow. The hostels we erect will house inventors, writers, doctors, and engineers who will shape not only Edo’s destiny but Nigeria’s place in the world.That is the power of vision, the essence of legacy.

•Itua is chief Press secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo