Bamidele Unveils N200m Renovated Science College

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has commissioned the newly renovated Government Science College, Iyin-Ekiti, a project he personally funded at a cost of over N200 million, with a promise to begin a second phase of the intervention focused on transforming the institution into a specialised science school.

Bamidele commissioned the project on Friday during a ceremony held within the school premises in Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Speaking at the event, the Senate Leader, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, stressed the need for sustained investment in basic education as a critical foundation for producing well-rounded citizens, professionals, and responsible leaders capable of driving Nigeria's development. He said the essence of investing in schools was to create an environment where children could acquire the knowledge, skills, and character needed to become better and greater leaders of tomorrow.

Explaining the circumstances behind the renovation, Bamidele disclosed that although a university had been expected to vacate the premises as initially envisaged, this had not happened due to heavy rainfall and other circumstances. Rather than leave students to continue learning in a deteriorating environment, he said he felt compelled to intervene and improve their learning conditions. "Our intention in the long run is for the school to be a training ground for the university students," he said, outlining the broader vision behind his continued investment in the site.

Beyond the renovation itself, Bamidele donated a brand-new bus to Government Science College, Iyin-Ekiti, and another to the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti (FUTESI), the tertiary institution sharing the same community.

The Senate Leader stressed that the significance of the project extended beyond its physical structures, noting that the ultimate objective was to provide a solid foundation for children who could grow into professionals and leaders across various sectors of the economy. "I'm happy about the first phase of this renovation," he said, before outlining plans for the project's continuation.

According to Bamidele, the second phase of the intervention will focus on equipping the college with modern laboratories, a library, and other facilities needed to transform it into a more specialised, science-oriented institution. He added that consideration would also be given to constructing additional classroom blocks, subject to the availability of land, to allow the school expand its capacity and accommodate more students whose parents desire science-based education for their children. He also addressed the condition of the road leading to the school, saying both state and federal governments were considering interventions to address the situation.

Speaking at the event, former Ekiti State Governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, commended Bamidele's continued interventions in the Iyin-Ekiti community and across the state more broadly, describing the renovation as part of a sustained pattern of personal investment in the area's development.

Representing Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji at the commissioning, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Adebimpe Aderiye, commended the Senate Leader for complementing the state government's efforts in the education sector, and assured that the state would ensure the newly renovated facilities are properly maintained going forward.

The Iyin-Ekiti intervention adds to a growing pattern of National Assembly members and senior public officials directly funding secondary school infrastructure upgrades within their constituencies, often stepping in to address facility deterioration that state education budgets have struggled to keep pace with. For Government Science College, Iyin-Ekiti, the completed first phase offers students an improved learning environment in the near term, while the promised second phase, pending land availability and further funding, would mark a more substantial transformation of the institution into a dedicated science-focused secondary school serving the wider Ekiti Central area.