Ekiti SUBEB Distributes 20 Vehicles to Boost Primary School Supervision

The Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has taken a decisive step towards improving the quality of basic education in the state with the distribution of 20 operational vehicles to monitoring and evaluation officers across the 16 Local Government Education Authorities. The vehicles, handed over in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, are intended to enhance school supervision, data collection, and timely reporting, marking a significant investment in the infrastructure of educational oversight.

Speaking at the distribution ceremony, the Chairman of Ekiti SUBEB, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, described the initiative as a strategic investment in strengthening the monitoring, supervision, and quality assurance of public primary schools across the state. He emphasised that the vehicles would enable monitoring and evaluation officers to reach hard-to-access schools, monitor compliance with established standards, and provide timely data for effective policy formulation. "The improved mobility will enable monitoring and evaluation officers to reach hard-to-access schools, monitor compliance with established standards and provide timely data for effective policy formulation," Akinwumi said.

The SUBEB chairman linked the initiative directly to the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji's administration to providing the mobility required to improve security and education delivery. He urged the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously and maintain them properly to ensure their durability and effective utilisation, stressing that the investment was a demonstration of the government's resolve to reposition basic education for greater efficiency and improved outcomes.

The Permanent Secretary in the Board, Michael Omolayo, reinforced the significance of the intervention, describing the procurement and distribution of the vehicles as a reflection of the Oyebanji administration and SUBEB management's commitment to repositioning basic education. "Effective monitoring and evaluation remain central to quality assurance in the basic education sub-sector," Omolayo stated. He noted that inadequate logistics could hamper effective supervision, adding that the Board had provided field officers with the necessary operational tools to discharge their responsibilities effectively across public primary schools in the state.

Monitoring and evaluation officers play a critical role in assessing school activities, checking compliance with education standards, gathering data, and identifying areas requiring intervention. Regular visits to schools are therefore essential for ensuring that policies and programmes translate into improved teaching and learning conditions. By equipping these officers with the mobility they need, the Ekiti State Government is addressing a fundamental logistical barrier that has historically limited the reach and effectiveness of school supervision.

The initiative drew commendation from other stakeholders, including the Commissioner for Human Resources Management, Dr Olufunke Fajobi, who said the initiative aligned with the administration's human capital development agenda. She commended the SUBEB chairman for prioritising staff welfare and operational efficiency, noting that an adequately equipped and motivated workforce was essential to improving learning outcomes. The Commissioner for Project Management, Kayode Adeoye, added that the vehicles would facilitate effective monitoring of SUBEB projects, ensuring quality delivery, value for money, and the sustainability of interventions in schools.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, hailed Ekiti SUBEB for the initiative and reaffirmed UBEC's commitment to continued collaboration with SUBEBs across the country. Garba, who was represented by the UBEC State Coordinator, Tokunbo Olajubu, said Ekiti had remained a model in the effective utilisation of UBEC matching grants and the implementation of the commission's programmes, assuring that UBEC would continue to support the state's efforts to improve basic education.

The distribution of the 20 vehicles is part of a broader pattern of investment in educational infrastructure and personnel under the Oyebanji administration. In July 2026, the governor approved a new consolidated salary structure and official vehicles for the state's three Headmasters-General, a move aimed at strengthening administrative leadership, improving school supervision, and enhancing service delivery in public primary schools. These interventions collectively signal a coherent strategy to address the systemic challenges facing basic education in Ekiti State, from inadequate logistics to the welfare of frontline staff.

The ceremony was attended by a cross-section of stakeholders, including SUBEB board member Alhaja Lateefat Arilewola, directors of the Board, Education Secretaries from the 16 LGEAs, Headmaster-Generals, and the beneficiary monitoring and evaluation officers. The presence of such a diverse group underscored the collective commitment to improving the quality of primary education in the state.

As the new vehicles begin to roll out across Ekiti's 16 local government areas, the investment represents more than a logistical upgrade; it is a statement of intent that the quality of primary education will no longer be compromised by the inability of supervisors to reach the schools they are mandated to oversee. For the monitoring and evaluation officers who will now have the means to conduct regular and unencumbered school visits, the vehicles are a tool for accountability and a platform for ensuring that every child in Ekiti State receives the quality education they deserve.