Education stakeholders in Oyo State have issued a powerful call for increased transparency and stronger accountability mechanisms within the state's school system. This renewed demand emerged from a significant policy dialogue held in Ibadan, bringing together a diverse coalition determined to improve governance.
Dialogue Focuses on Citizen-Led Oversight
The crucial meeting, the Bi-Annual Policy Dialogue organised by YouthHub Africa, took place on 5 December 2025 at Adibs Hotel in the Bodija area of Ibadan. The event assembled budget analysts, gender advocates, school governance experts, and community-based organisations with a unified goal: to assess the state of education accountability, pinpoint existing gaps, and fortify citizen-led oversight across schools and education agencies.
In her opening remarks, Doowuese Injinder, Programme Officer for Education and Girl-Child Literacy at YouthHub Africa, stated the forum aimed to build closer collaboration between citizens and education authorities. She emphasised that no education system can achieve meaningful progress without transparency in planning, budgeting, and project implementation. Strengthening trust between the government and the public, she noted, is fundamental to enhancing learning outcomes for all children.
Expert Analysis Highlights Governance Gaps
A core segment of the dialogue featured expert presentations designed to deepen understanding of systemic issues. Joseph Amenaghawon, Executive Director of One Life Mission, delivered a virtual analysis of Oyo State's education budgeting structure. He identified specific areas where improved public oversight could drastically reduce financial leakages and ensure better value for money invested in education.
This was complemented by an in-person session led by Peter Ogah, YouthHub Africa’s Programme Officer for Governance. Ogah focused on strengthening transparency through active community participation, using real-life case studies to show the consequences of weak accountability and the transformative power of engaged citizens.
Nwaiwu Elizabeth, Communication Manager at YouthHub Africa, representing Executive Director Rotimi Olawale, reiterated the organisation's steadfast commitment to promoting openness. She argued that sustained citizen participation is vital to ensure public investments lead to tangible improvements in school infrastructure, teacher support, and learning materials.
Actionable Steps and Community-Led Solutions
Participants later divided into thematic groups to brainstorm practical, grassroots-level solutions. Discussions zeroed in on:
- Community-led monitoring of education projects.
- Strengthening collaboration among civil society groups.
- Increasing public access to budget information and documents.
From these sessions, several actionable recommendations emerged, including the need for simplified communication of project details, wider dissemination of budget documents, and improved coordination among all stakeholders involved in the education sector.
Speaking with journalists, Mrs Oluwaseun Folajuwon-Banjo, a legal practitioner and Executive Director of Saving Faces and Justice Point Foundation who also serves as the Oyo State Education Coordination Coordinator, highlighted the dialogue's importance for gender-responsive initiatives. She stressed that school projects must be properly documented, easily identifiable, and accessible to the public, enabling communities to effectively track implementation.
Ms Ifeoluwa Adewole, Programmes Manager for Getting Girls Equal under AREA 1, added that the engagement aimed to empower coalition members working to boost citizen involvement in education budgeting. She affirmed that broad-based participation is essential to sustain reforms that benefit girls, marginalised children, and vulnerable communities across the state.
Concluding the dialogue, participants presented detailed action plans to YouthHub Africa's leadership. These plans outline concrete strategies to advance transparency and accountability, emphasising increased community participation, stronger coalition efforts, and sustained civic advocacy as the key drivers for improved educational governance in Oyo State.
