By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has received yet another national recognition for his outstanding contribution to the development of education in Nigeria.
The governor, who featured on the cover of Daily Independent Newspaper, was unveiled among sixteen distinguished Nigerians named as Education Ambassadors in acknowledgment of their roles in advancing education and national development.
Reacting to the recognition, the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah, described the honour as a clear acknowledgment of Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership and transformative reforms that continue to shape the education sector in Kogi State.
He noted that the governor’s inclusion among the sixteen Education Ambassadors underscores the impact of his administration’s inclusive policies, which prioritize education as the foundation for human capital development.
According to Hon. Isah, under Governor Ododo’s leadership, the state has witnessed remarkable progress through increased funding for education and improved infrastructure, including the construction and remodeling of classrooms and laboratories in primary and secondary schools.
He added that infrastructural development has also been extended to higher institutions, especially the three state-owned universities.
Isah explained that the administration’s initiatives—such as the payment of exit examination fees (UTME, SSCE, NECO, NBTE, and Common Entrance), scholarship and bursary awards to undergraduates, conditional cash transfers for girls in secondary schools, and improved welfare for teachers—have repositioned Kogi’s education system for excellence.
He further recalled the Golden Award of Excellence for Education and Teachers’ Friendliness recently conferred on the governor by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) as additional proof of Governor Ododo’s commitment to quality education.
The governor’s spokesman emphasized that Governor Ododo remains steadfast in his belief that education is the most sustainable investment in the future of the state, assuring that his administration will continue to expand access, deepen reforms, and empower the next generation through innovation and skills development.
The Daily Independent front page, which unveiled Governor Ododo alongside fifteen other eminent Nigerians, also featured national icons such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Sir Ahmadu Bello—honoured posthumously for their pioneering roles in Nigeria’s educational development.
