…As Independent Marks 70th Anniversary Of Free Primary Education
As Independent Newspapers marks the platinum jubilee of Free Universal Primary Education, the youngest daughter of the first Premier of the Western Region, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, has described leaders of the Action Group as visionaries, noting that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were part of the policy paper of the Action Group in 1952.
Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, a former Nigerian ambassador to the Netherlands, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Daily Independent ahead of the 70th anniversary of Free Universal Primary Education, which will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According the former ambassador, the main goals contained in MDGs and SDGs from year 2000 were in the policy document of the ruling Action Group in the Western Region as far back as 1950s.
“I mean Awo and his team were quite visionary. The goals were all designed for human capital development. Education, health care, poverty reduction, environment-friendly policies such as forest reserves. All of those goals were part of the manifesto and actions taken by the Action Group since 1952. They formed the crux of what they set out to do and they achieved them. They were visionaries in the real sense of the term”, she said.
Going down the memory lane, Awolowo-Dosunmu disclosed that she and her elder sister, the late Mrs Ayodele Soyode, were fee-paying school pupils at United Missionary College (UMC) Demonstration School, Molete, Ibadan, before the introduction of Free Universal Primary Education on January 17, 1955.
According to the former ambassador, “I still have the receipt of my school fees and the free education card that was subsequently issued to us. I think I was in Primary 2 and my elder sister in Primary 3 or 4 before education became free in the Western Region. Papa kept a file for each of us. Hence we have the documents neatly kept.
“My father believed we could enjoy quality education, hence he enrolled us at UMC Demonstration School. And we did not enjoy any privileges as daughters of the Premier. We were treated just like other children. You know in those days, the headteacher would always communicate with parents. You had to be of good behaviour. Otherwise after the school punishment, you would get home to receive another punishment.”
On the feasibility of free education up to the university level as advocated by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, given the enormous resources involved, Dr. Awolowo-Dosunmu said it was a question of priority.
“If it was not possible, my father would not have advocated it. Of course, he would not promise what he could not fulfil. At any rate, it was implemented in the Second Republic in the five states controlled by the Unity Party of Nigeria. It is a question of priority.”
On how to improve the state of primary education across the country, Dr. Awolowo-Dosunmu said: “First of all, we have to improve the personnel. There should be proper oversight as used to be case. There were inspectors in those days and they did the job as expected; they were properly trained. Government needs to invest in the people who run the system. Of course, these days education is quite different from what it used to be. We are now in the age of technology, artificial intelligence, innovative and independent thinking. Education now is different from the past. It is important we invest in the system, train the teachers so that they can teach the children properly.”
The 70th anniversary of Free Universal Primary Education will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Chief Bisi Akande will chair the event while Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is Chief Host.
Curled from Daily Independent Newspapers
