Edo only subnational invited to high-level panel
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, shared insights on the judicious use of public resources to ensure the success of the Edo State Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) Programme at the 2023 World Bank Spring meeting.
The panel session themed “The False Dichotomy between More & More Effective Public Spending on Education: Lessons from Country Experiences” had high-level participants which include Ministers of Education and Ministers of Finance from developing countries such as Morocco, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Portugal.
Edo State is the only sub-national invited to the session to present its success story in transforming its public school system.
The governor noted that Edo State has deployed significant resources to improve teaching and learning and how strong institutional reforms contributed to ensuring that the resources were utilized effectively to meet set targets for improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
He also said that evidence has shown that school children in Edo public schools now learn three times more than they did without the reforms, noting that the state has become a reference point for other sub-nationals in Nigeria seeking to transform their public school system.
The Ministers that are to join the governor include the Minister of Education from Argentina, Jaime Perczyk; the Minister of Education from Portugal, Joao Costa; the Minister of Education from Bangladesh, Dipu Moni; the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports from Morocco, Chakib Benmoussa; Secretary, Department of Budget and Management from the Philippines, Amenah Pangandaman; State Minister of Finance from Sri Lanka, Shehan Semashinga; Secretary, Finance Division from Pakistan, Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh.
