As part of its contributions to the development of education in Oyo State, the British High Commission in Nigeria has commenced the training of over 200 teachers in public schools.

The Deputy British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Carter who made this disclosure during a courtesy call on the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi in his office in Ibadan on Wednesday, said that the training of the teachers marked the beginning of the collaboration between his Commission and the state government, particularly in the areas of education, trade and investment as well as gender equality.

The governor' Special Adviser on Media, Dr Festus Adedayo said in a statement that the British envoy, who admitted that his commission had not been paying much attention to the South-West zone except Lagos, however observed what he called the abundant investment opportunities in Ibadan, the state capital.

According to him, Ibadan is fast developing in preparation for future socio-economic opportunities, stressing that his Commission would do everything possible to assist the Ajimobi administration in its unprecedented developmental strides.

 Carter also lauded the urban renewal programme of the state government which he said was responsible for the influx of foreign investors into the state, noting with delight that Oyo had now become a preferred destination of choice for foreign investors.“Ibadan is rapidly developing. It is very pleasant for me to be in the city that is fast looking into the future,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Ajimobi said that his administration would concentrate more on middle level manpower where vocational training would be accorded necessary encouragement for people to acquire skills, a situation which, he said, would help in filling the missing gap between the classroom and the industry.

The governor, who described education as the largest industry in the state, said that his government would continue to cherish education and improve the sector.“We have always cherished education and we still want to keep that tradition of developing our human capital,’’ he said, adding that government had put in place necessary machinery for the rapid industrialization of the state.

 Ajimobi recalled the recent listing of the state by the New York Times as one of the preferred destinations of choice for investors in Africa due to the peaceful environment, availability of infrastructure and land mass.

He commended the British High Commission for offering to assist the state government in the areas of education and others, promising the provision of necessary encouragement to lubricate the relationship between the commission and the state.