Dr Olusegun Mimiko, a former Governor of Ondo State, once set a strong example for public education in Nigeria. During his time in office, he built Mega Primary Schools with modern facilities, including ICT labs, libraries, and air-conditioned classrooms, to serve children from low-income backgrounds. Pupils also received free meals, uniforms, sandals, and school bus rides.
His efforts raised school enrollment and made public schools more attractive than private ones. He also founded Nigeria’s first medical university, UNIMED, and helped reform Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) by fighting corruption and keeping fees low. Sadly, almost as soon as Mimiko left office, progress began to reverse, and many of the projects have now been left to rot away. The Mega Schools now look abandoned, and the free school programmes have stopped. At AAUA, fees increased by over 300%, prompting many students to drop out of the institution.
Indeed, Mimiko’s legacy demonstrates what effective leadership can accomplish. However, its collapse reflects Nigeria’s failure to continue visionary projects once their founders leave office.
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