Ogun expands education support, approves free health insurance for retirees

By Popoola Jamiu, Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen education delivery and social welfare through fresh interventions targeting special needs education, teachers’ development and healthcare support for retired public servants.

As part of measures aimed at improving the quality of education for children with disabilities and special learning needs, the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology organised a capacity-building workshop for special education teachers across the state on effective classroom management.

Speaking during the training in Abeokuta, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Oluwatosin Oloko, said the workshop was designed to sharpen teachers’ skills, broaden perspectives and strengthen professional capacity.

He noted that a well-managed classroom would promote concentration, cooperation, emotional stability, positive behaviour and improved academic outcomes for learners with special needs.

According to him, the academic performance of special learners should not be limited by disability but by barriers within their environment, urging teachers to adopt proactive and learner-centred interventions rather than relying on traditional disciplinary approaches.

Arigbabu also reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration to inclusive and accessible education, citing the yearly distribution of mobility aids and provision of improved teaching and learning environments in the state’s five special needs schools.

Director of Education, Department of Special Needs and Inclusive Education, Mrs. Deborah Ogundimu, said special needs classrooms should reflect safety, structure and support, urging participants to apply the knowledge gained for more effective teaching outcomes.

In another education-focused initiative, the Ogun State Basic Education Ambassador, Mr. Francis Solanke, organised a handwriting improvement workshop for 100 teachers drawn from public primary schools across Abeokuta North Local Government Education Authority.

The training, held at Imo Methodist Primary School, Oke-Yeke, Abeokuta, focused on practical strategies to improve handwriting skills among pupils in public primary schools.

Chairman of the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Evangelist Olalekan Ifede, represented by the Director of Education, Teachers Development, Mr. Kolawole Adagojo, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at improving literacy development, academic performance and communication skills among learners.

He observed that poor handwriting habits continued to affect classroom performance and readability, stressing the need for teachers to apply modern teaching techniques to reverse the trend.

Resource person and Director of African American Business School, Ota, Prof. Ben Ezeohagwu, highlighted six pillars of good handwriting, including legibility, consistent starting points, trizonal balance, correct stroke formation, even pressure rhythm and orderly spacing.

Meanwhile, the state government has approved a free health insurance scheme for retired public servants under the Ogun State Retirees Health Insurance Scheme.

The State Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, disclosed this during an engagement with journalists in Abeokuta, explaining that the initiative was designed to guarantee affordable and quality healthcare access for pensioners.

According to him, Governor Abiodun approved the payment of N17.4 million monthly as insurance premium for retirees, adding that beneficiaries would not be required to contribute financially to the scheme.

Onasanya described the initiative as another milestone under the administration’s social welfare and wellbeing agenda, noting that it followed the successful implementation of the public sector health insurance scheme for serving workers in August 2024.

He stated that retirees enrolled under the scheme would have access to healthcare services through accredited facilities across the state, thereby reducing medical expenses and preventing catastrophic healthcare spending among pensioners.

Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Mr. Waheed Oloyede, commended the governor for the initiative, saying it would ease the burden of medical expenses for many retirees facing multiple health challenges.