Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has urged stakeholders to partner with Government in addressing deficiencies in Nigeria’s education sector.
The Vice President made this call on Thursday in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the 20th Nigeria Economic Summit, organised by The Nigerian Economic Summit Group in conjunction with the National Planning Commission.
The Vice President, who noted that the task of transforming the educational sector was enormous and could not be left to government alone enjoined “the leadership of the states, the private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), development partners, and parents to join hands with the Government in actualising this noble objective.”
He stressed that the Administration was determined to transform the education sector, being a key factor to the aspiration of Nigeria to be among the 20 strongest economies by the year 2020, saying “Several policy initiatives are being implemented to facilitate and improve adult literacy and school enrolment at all levels of our educational institutions.”
“We intend to develop a skilled workforce which will be able to drive the development of the Nigerian economy, drive change and innovation and ensure that Nigeria attains her rightful place in the comity of nations. This is consistent with our aspiration of becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by year 2020,” he also added.
Speaking further the Vice President emphasised that dialogue between stakeholders in the education sector, including the private sector, principals, Teachers, key members of the business community and education sector experts, “is key to deepening and broadening the implementation of the strategic plan for the development of the Education Sector in particular, and the wider Transformation Agenda in general.”
While commending the organisers and participants for extensively deliberating on issues that would reposition the education sector, Vice President Sambo said “It is a known fact that the foundation of all successful modern nation-states is a well-articulated educational system which engenders in society, a modern mindset and a culture of learning that produces the right sets of functional skills and values that propel people to achieve their highest potential.”
A Presentation of Summit Summary to the Vice President indicated extensive deliberation as well as expressing the readiness of the private sector to partner governments at all levels to revitalise the education system, stressing that it would be a business unusual.
Highlights of the Closing Ceremony were a keynote address by Mr. Jim O’Neil, titled ‘From BRICS to MINT: The centrality of education and learning to nation-building and economic development,” a plenary session on Leadership and Ownership in Nigerian Education had the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu as Panelists.
