Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Kogi-based publisher Prince Bolarin Friday Ogungbemi has sounded the alarm over what he calls a “crippling decline” in the state’s education system, urging Governor Usman Ododo’s administration to act fast or risk shutting the doors of opportunity on thousands of young people.
At a press conference titled “A Call to Save Kogi State Educational System” in Lokoja, Ogungbemi, who publishes Policy and Lawmakers Magazine, painted a grim picture: dilapidated classrooms, chronic underfunding, a shortage of more than 9,000 teachers, and skyrocketing tuition in state-owned tertiary institutions.
“The over 100 percent tuition hike is the last straw,” he said. “Students from struggling families will simply be priced out. This is not just about fees—it’s about denying a generation their fundamental right to education and a brighter future.”
Ogungbemi blamed years of misappropriation and poor policy execution for the rot, saying even government measures like extending teachers’ retirement age have been undermined by poor implementation.
He urged the government to reverse the tuition increases, recruit qualified teachers, invest seriously in infrastructure and materials, and fully implement the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Law.
“Kogi’s future depends on the quality of its classrooms today,” he warned. “The government must act—now.”