ogidi-ijumu.com
Schools
Educationally, Ogidi-Ijumu has fared very well compared with other neighbouring communities. It started from being a feeder to schools in Kabba up until 1960 when St Michael's RC Primary School was sending pupils to St Mary's RC Primary School in Kabba in order for them to complete their final year in primary education. St John's Anglican Primary School was the first to have their pupils completing their primary education in Ogidi.
Today, there are two full fledge secondary schools, two UBE (Junior Secondary schools and four primary schools. This is a great achievement.
It is a thing of pride that Ogidi community did not have to wait for the government to provide education for their children. Their self-help efforts have paid off with the establishment of the first community secondary shool in 1979 which gave rise to this rapid development in the educational sector of the town. We have produced top professionals in both the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy in virtually every walk of life such as medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, military officers, journalism, etc. Click here to view some pictures of educational institutions in Ogidi.
Facilities
Town Hall
Way back in the 60's, the public gathering place for members of Ogidi community was known as 'Alaa,' an open space the equivalent of the township square. The meetings were usually preceeded by the announcement of the event by the town crier, a few nights or the night before the actual gathering. The front of Ologidi's palace also provided an alternative meeting point for such important gatherings.
The same public space also served as the meeting point for the Aladuras (God's prophets) whenever they wanted to pass on God's messages to the whole community.
Over time, the playground in front of the current maternity became the public gathering place. In those days, official of the Ministry of Information or those selling medicine or household wares used to come to Ogidi with their big loudspeakers mounted atop their enlightenment campaign vans announcing their arrival with music and acrobatic dancing while people gathered on the playing field in front of the maternity.
Today, the public gathering place is the Ogidi Town Hall. It is the symbol of the unity of the community and a permanent meeting place for the people.
The building is strategically and centrally located by the road- side in Agegbe. It is a 250-seater hall with an office space and convenience for both male and female members of the community.
As with all other socio-economic amenities in the town, Ogidi Town Hall project was initiated in 2001 and completed in 2013 through the self-help efforts of the people led by Ogidi Development Union (ODU) and through the generousity of individuals such as Chief (Mrs) Nike Okundaye, the late Chief Zachaeus Oloruntoba and Mrs Moser - a white woman who was conferred with an honourary chieftancy title in 2000.
The hall is used for various community events such as public meetings, wedding receptions, medical outreaches, inter-religious prayers, the AGM of the ODU, etc.
ICT Centre
The ICT center which is about the only visible dividend of democracy in Ogidi; was commissioned on the 10th December 2012 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (CFR). The location of the center in Ogidi was facilitated by the House of Representatives’ member for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Fedreal constituency; Hon. T.J. Yusuf.
The facility is fully equipped with 25 modern desktop computers, all of which are networked to a VSAT internet access. There is a printer, a photocopier, binding and laminating machines for handling documents.
The entire building is connected to a solar powered device that supplies backup energy in case of mains power outage. This makes the facility able to run at all times.
With this, our teeming youths are able to engage in computer litracy and skills acquisition training which will no doubt prepare them for gainful employment as well as help in poverty eradication.
Community Health Centre
Ogidi-Ela, with a population of approximatley 15000, has come a long way in developing its own healthcare facilities, after the first metarnity ward was commissioned by the late Sadauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the then Premier of Northern Nigeria in the early 60s. This is more critical today considering that there are three primary schools and two secondary schools in the community with a combined enrolement of about 3000 pupils. The nearest health centre is located in Kabba, which is a distance of about 13 kilometre. With the poor condition of the road, a journey that should normally take no more that 30 minutes often takes up to 2 hours. In cases of emergency, the effect on a seriously ill person can better be imagined.
Ogidi Development Union, in collaboration with Kogi State Government, has taken on the challenge of bringing affordable health care facilities to the community. In 2013, a 32 bed cottage hospital was completed. Today, the building is only a hospital in name for lack of even the most basic medical facility. In the past twelve months alone, over 85 needless deaths have been recorded due to lack of adequate medical care.
Every year, the UK based charity, Ripples comes to Ogidi to offer free medical tests and drugs to the people. This programme holds on the Friday before Ogidi Day. It is the most popular part of Ogidi Day for our people. Ripples does more. It has single-handedly equipped the community's cottage hospital, provided books for the two secondary schools in the town, empowered women and youths and much more.
