YcDEI was privileged to be represented by the Executive Director, Prof. Adefunke Ekine, at the symposium commemorating 70 years of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Southwest Nigeria, hosted by the Dawn Commission. It examined the historical foundations, current state, and future direction of education in the Southwest and Nigeria. The event also featured the pre-launch of “On ’55 We Stand: Nigeria’s First Free Education Scheme” by Ola Opesan, an education consultant and one of the panelists.

The gathering brought together policymakers, educators, technologists, leaders, and media stakeholders to explore sustainable education models for the region. Notable contributors included a representative of Chief Tokunbo Ajasin, Dr. I. A. Salami, Dr. Suleiman Adediran, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu (via recorded address), Prof. Adefunke O. Ekine, Dr. Olusola Ayoola, Hon. Olawale Oshun, and Tunde Kelani.

A short teaser was displayed at the beginning, featuring school-age children struggling with basic English pronunciation, which set the tone for critical discussions on the declining quality of public education. The key speakers traced UBE’s roots to the 1955 Free Education Policy in Western Nigeria under Obafemi Awolowo and Adekunle Ajasin, noting that while education was once heavily funded and widely accessible, current realities reflect a significant decline. Education budget allocation has significantly dropped from about 36% to 6.7%, literacy stands at 68%, and out-of-school children are estimated to be between 6 and 11 million, and 60% are girls.

Proposed solutions included improved planning and accountability, increased financing, project-based learning, wider curriculum consultation, stronger policy impact assessments, investment in STEM/STEAM and digital literacy, and better preparation of pupils for future work demands.

Prof. Adefunke Ekine, in her presentation, emphasized lessons from the past, highlighting how early planning, strong political will, and significant budgetary investment drove success in the 1950s. She stressed that investing in early childhood education was one of the ways forward because 90% of brain development occurs at that point and is critical. Technology integration and adequate funding are also necessary to improve policy implementation, resources, and outcomes.

Hon. Olawale Oshun and Tunde Kelani, one of the first beneficiaries of the free education, gave their personal reflections on the transformative impact of free education on their lives. The symposium also spotlighted Ogun State’s digital student-tracking platform, praised for improving transparency and accountability, with recommendations for adoption across other Southwest states. The symposium concluded with the official launch of “On ’55 We Stand,” authored by Mr. Ola Opesan, and a strong consensus on the need to honour history while advancing bold, forward-thinking education policies for the future.