When Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran walked into Ansar-ud-deen Primary School, Oke-Fóko, Ibadan, it was more than an official visit. It was a return to roots, a powerful reminder that destiny is not determined by where a child starts, but by how far the child dares to dream.
Now the Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB), and a former Local Government Chairman as well as Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, Dr. Adeniran stood once again in the school where his own journey began.
The occasion was the Catch Them Young programme, aimed at inspiring pupils in public primary schools.
But for him, the message was personal, emotional, and deeply symbolic.
Oke-Fóko: true to the weight the name carries, is one of the ‘ghettos’ in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area. It is the kind of place many people casually dismiss. A place where children are often written off before life even gives them a chance. To some, children from areas like this are not expected to “amount to much.”
Dr. Adeniran’s presence alone challenged that mindset.
“If some of us passed through this same school and were able to navigate life to where we are today,” he told the pupils, “then these children can become even greater than we are.”
He reminded them that the type of school they attend, or the area they come from, is never a limitation. Lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers, commissioners, governors, senators, even presidents, he said, can and will emerge from public primary schools like Ansar-ud-deen.
As he spoke, the pupils listened not just to words, but to a living testimony.
Dr. Adeniran paid glowing tribute to his teachers, recalling their names with pride and stressing that teachers are as important as parents in shaping a child’s future. One memory stood out: a letter written by his Primary One teacher to his father, urging him to mentor and guide the young boy closely. Adeniran said his father took that advice seriously, and today, Dr. Adeniran says the joy of achievement is sweeter knowing his father is alive to witness it.
His own journey, he admitted, was not smooth. He struggled with science subjects early on, yet held firmly to his dream of becoming a doctor.
Encouraged by someone who told him “you can still be a doctor if you read,” he embraced discipline, focus, and hard work. From his first degree, he moved straight into a Master’s programme and then a PhD, proof that determination can rewrite any narrative.
Beyond inspiration, the visit also reflected responsibility. As OYOSUBEB Chairman, Dr. Adeniran said his personal history keeps him motivated to improve public primary schools across the state. When he assumed office years ago, many schools were in deplorable condition, no fences, dilapidated classrooms, overstretched facilities.
Today, the transformation at Ansar-ud-deen is evident: renovated buildings, fencing, new constructions, and a growing number of pupils returning to school due to improved learning conditions and free education.
In a practical show of care, the Chairman and management team of OYOSUBEB distributed school sandals to some pupils of Ansar-ud-deen Primary School, Oke-Fóko, a thoughtful gesture aimed at easing the burden on parents. Dr. Adeniran announced that the initiative will be replicated across basic schools in Oyo State, ensuring that no child is denied dignity or learning because of lack.
To parents and guardians, his advice was clear: while government provides free education, parents must also play their part, feeding, clothing, guiding their children, and keeping them away from bad influences.
“This is their future,” he said. “When these children succeed tomorrow, the parents will sit back and be proud.”
As the pupils looked on, children from a community many have written off, it was clear they were seeing more than a government official. They were seeing possibility. They were seeing hope.
And as Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran left Ansar-ud-deen Primary School once again, his message lingered in the air: greatness has no postcode, and dreams can rise even from Oke-Fóko.
*Olamide Adeniji writes from Oke-Fóko, Ibadan.*
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