Ogun Must Give Intellectual Excellence the Same Recognition as Fame

Ogun State inherited a powerful educational legacy from the old Western Region, where free primary education and investment in human capacity were treated as tools for social transformation. Yet I believe the state must now ask whether it gives intellectual achievement the same visibility and support it gives popular success. Laycon’s recognition after winning Big Brother Naija was not wrong. Entertainment deserves respect. However, government rewards also send messages about what young people should aspire to. I ask whether first-class graduates, researchers, teachers, writers and inventors receive equally serious public recognition, funding and institutional support. Ogun has supported scholarships, education infrastructure and outstanding students, including recent awards for Babcock University graduates. But occasional rewards are not enough to create a lasting culture of excellence. The state needs deliberate structures that identify and nurture talent before it becomes famous elsewhere. I believe an Ogun Genius Award, an innovation fund and a public hall of fame for scholars, educators, writers and innovators could help. Ogun should continue celebrating entertainment, but it must make intellectual excellence visible, respected and properly supported.

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