Secondary school students in Oyo State have plenty of reason to be happy and make merry after the Oyo State government directed the Start Them Early Program (STEP) to be extended to secondary schools in the six geopolitical zones in the state.
His Excellency, Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde gave the directive after he inaugurated the first agribusiness incubation centre established by STEP in the state at Fasola Grammar School on 15 July 2020.
The overall objective of STEP-Oyo is to steer younger generations towards agriculture and agribusiness as a career path at an early age and provide them with hands-on experiences required for a lifetime of success in the industry.
STEP, which is an IITA initiative, aims to realise its objectives through agricultural education in formal education systems via the secondary schools’ agriculture curricula, providing supervised agricultural experiences in pilot enterprises across various agribusiness value chains (crop production, small animal production and value addition) and the establishment of extracurricular agribusiness clubs.
Governor Makinde said extending the program across the state will ensure a critical mass of young students benefit from the project and in so doing, enhance his administration’s drive to redirect young minds into profitable ventures along the value chains of agriculture.
An initial six schools have now been identified for the takeoff of the STEP project following the government’s directive, with many more schools pencilled to benefit from the program in the future.
The six schools were selected following a survey of 528 public schools in 26 local government areas across the 6 geo-political zones in Oyo state and a physical inspection of 28 schools in rural, peri-urban and urban areas.
The selected schools include Bishop Philips Academy, Iwo Road (Ibadan North East LG), Methodist High School (Oluyole LG) Christ High School, Oleyo (Oluyole LG), Iresaadu High School, Iresaadu (Surulere LG), Adegun-Asake Grammar School (Ibarapa North LG) and United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA), Igbeti (Olorunsogo LG).
Already, the first phase of the project has seen STEP implemented in Bishop Philips Academy, Iwo road and Methodist High School, Express in September 2020.The other four schools will begin the program in 2021.
In line with the STEP model, agriculture curricula have been adjusted along STEP objectives and transformational infrastructural works completed at both locations.
Facilities renovated/built at both schools include:
1. School science laboratory
2. Library (Bishop Philips Grammar School)
3. School Home Economics laboratory
4. Fish ponds (4,000 capacity at Bishop Philips School; 1,500 at Methodist High School)
5. School toilets
6. School landscaping
With the completion of construction and updating of the curricula, students at Bishop Philips Academy and Methodist High School are now well equipped to fully commence training along various agribusiness value chains.
Since its introduction to Fasola Grammar School, STEP has engaged nearly 200 students and teachers on agribusiness development and agricultural technologies, including production and value addition of agricultural commodities such as cassava, maize, soybean, poultry, and vegetables.
The STEP program is a key part of OYSADA’s Agribusiness Education Development Programme which aims to attract youth to and retain them in the agriculture sector so they become the engine driving new agriculture and agribusiness enterprises as well as rural transformation in Oyo State.
OYSADA estimates that through STEP, about 25,000 secondary school students will be trained in modern agriculture and agribusiness by 2024, which will see more students continue their pursuit of postsecondary education in the agricultural disciplines and related careers.
In addition, the program is also expected to facilitate the complete overhaul of existing agriculture curricula and hasten a move towards electronic-based learning in secondary schools in Oyo State.
