The Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has flagged off its 2026 Annual Enrolment Drive Campaign, urging parents and guardians to enrol all school-age children in public schools across the state.

The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, made the call on Monday while flagging off the campaign at the front of the Palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.

Akinwumi said the exercise was aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children (OOSC) and ensuring that every child had access to free and compulsory basic education.

He said the campaign was in line with the education policy of Gov. Biodun Oyebanji’s administration and the board’s efforts to improve access to quality basic education.

According to him, government, in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has invested in classroom construction and renovation, furniture, instructional materials, digital tablets and teacher training.

He, however, said the investments would only be meaningful if children were available to benefit from them.

“Basic education in Ekiti State is free, compulsory, qualitative and attractive. We have prepared our schools to receive every child.

“Our message today is simple: parents should bring their children out; the time to enrol them is now. No child should be seen hawking during school hours,” he said.

Akinwumi urged parents to take advantage of the government’s investment in education and enrol their children in public schools.

He explained that basic education covered Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE), primary education and Junior Secondary School up to JSS3.

The SUBEB chairman said the choice of the Ewi’s Palace for the ceremony underscored the importance of the traditional institution in grassroots mobilisation and community sensitisation.

The high point of the ceremony was the distribution of public address megaphones to Education Secretaries from the 16 Local Government Areas to facilitate house-to-house, market and community sensitisation.

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Also speaking, SUBEB Commissioner for Human Resources Management, Dr Olufunke Fajobi, said the board had continued to motivate, train and promote teachers to prepare them for increased enrolment.

She assured parents that qualified teachers were available to provide quality education in the state’s public schools.

The Permanent Secretary of SUBEB, Mr Michael Omolayo, appreciated the Ewi-in-Council for approving the use of the palace frontage and urged Education Secretaries to ensure that the campaign produced improved enrolment figures.

The UBEC State Coordinator, Mr Tokunbo Olajubu, commended Ekiti SUBEB for its utilisation of UBEC/SUBEB intervention funds.

Olajubu said the interventions had provided infrastructure and other facilities in schools, adding that increased enrolment was needed to justify the investments.

The State Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) said members had been mobilised as community foot soldiers for the campaign and would embark on house-to-house sensitisation.

The State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Egbeyomi, and the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) also pledged their support for the enrolment drive.

Meanwhile, SUBEB also flagged off the campaign for Ekiti North Senatorial District at the front of the Palace of the Elekole of Ikole-Ekiti.

Akinwumi, represented by the Director of Social Mobilisation, Mrs Olayinka Ayodele, said the campaign was designed to tackle OOSC and consolidate the state’s free, compulsory and qualitative basic education policy.

The high point of the Ikole ceremony was the symbolic registration of school-age children brought to the venue by their parents.

Education Secretaries, headteachers, teachers, SBMC members, traditional and religious leaders and other stakeholders attended the ceremonies.