By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The current realities in Nigeria requires that everyone see it as a patriotic duty to contribute to the processes of articulating choices in promoting the ideals of nation building, socio-economic progress and transformative change at this critical time of our national consciousness.
This is the contention of Chiakor Alfred, Ph.D, Chairman, Planning Committee of the forthcoming maiden Public Lecture in honour of Professor Emeritus Benedicta Egbo under the theme: RECLAIMING NIGERIA’S FUTURE: STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS FOR ACHIEVING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE slated for Thursday, March 21, 2024 at the Congress Hall of Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Abuja.
The event shall also provide the opportunity to unveil and present to the general public, Professor Benedicta Egbo’s seminal and critically acclaimed book entitled: ” EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN 21ST CENTURY NIGERIA”
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday to formally unveil the Public Lecture, Alfred revealed that the lecture could not have come at a better time than at this time when the intensity of pressures and challenges facing the nation, makes it imperative to promote robust nation building endeavours and discourse such as this public lecture, which as everyone envisage, will provide, will provide the participants the opportunity to proffer suggestions and practical strategies that will lead to positive and transformative change for the common good.
Said he: “The Public Lecture is therefore an initiative that aims to deepen democracy and advocacy; promote sustainable development as well as the prioritization of national goals and value orientation. The public lecture is a call to collaborative action and strategic partnership that will move the country forward. With an impressive assembly of scholars, public intellectuals, technocrats, political actors, etc, and robust interface with various Stakeholders both at home and in the diaspora, it is expected that discussions at the forum will provide important roadmap to the levers of governance as well for achieving the Nigeria of our dreams”.
However, Alfred who was flanked at the press conference by Dr Ene Ede, CEO of Equity Advocates and Mr. Benedict Bam Kokoiwen, Country, Director, Democracy for Africa Programme, disclosed that the Public Lecture will be delivered by erudite Professor Adele Jinadu who is a Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow, Centre for Democracy and Development.
According to him: “By building synergy, the event shall engender commitment to shared responsibilities towards achieving the institutionalization of the road map and priorities of the policy frameworks crafted to provide stability, security and overall development Nigeria’s priorities.
It is also the expectation of the Conveners that the derivatives from the event shall enhance knowledge leadership & management, regenerate confidence in marshalling productive forces to turn around the fortunes of the country, as espoused by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at different fora, both locally and internationally”.
Also, speaking about the book: “EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN 21ST CENTURY NIGERIA written from an interdisciplinary perspective, he said “this exciting book covers a wide range of topics on education and sustainable development within the context of a competitive 21st Century global arena that demands innovation, creativity, adaptive skills, multiple literacies (including knowledge of ICTs), environmental stewardship and responsibility”
According to him, “It does so by examining and then, proffering practical strategies for addressing the myriad challenges facing education in Nigeria (and Africa more generally) while simultaneously emphasizing the interrelationship between education, society and sustainable development. Importantly, the theme of inclusive and environmentally responsive socio-economic development cuts across all nine chapters of the book”.
Alfred said that the overarching message of the book is that engendering sustainable development in Nigeria requires significant overhaul and transformation of the country’s education system through visionary, innovative and pragmatic policies that are dialectically aligned with the country’s development goals, within the context of a complex and competitive globalized 21st century world.
Meanwhile, the Honouree, Professor Benedicta Egbo is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Windsor, Canada. She is also a former Director of the Joint Ph.D in Educational Studies Program which is jointly offered by a consortium of three Canadian Universities.
A globally renowned Scholar and Researcher, Professor Egbo has contributed enormously to education and development nationally and internationally.
Throughout her illustrious and distinguished career, she has constructively engaged in the development of the talents, skills and intellectual powers of professionals and aspiring scholars through her intellectual work, teaching and publications.
Not surprisingly, her books, articles and other publications which appear in prestigious journals are used in universities world-wide including in countries like Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia, South Africa etc. In addition to her publications, she has delivered countless conference papers, keynote addresses and invited talks in various parts of the world. READ ALSO:
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Prof. Egbo is a member of numerous professional organizations and associations. A philanthropist, Professor Egbo is the founder of African Winds International Foundation (AWIF), a non-profit organization which, among a host of other projects, provides scholarships to indigent students in Nigeria.
A true patriot and, based on her conviction that “Nigeria was ripe for a female president” Professor Egbo was a Presidential Aspirant in the recently concluded 2023 general elections under the banner of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) party.
In furtherance of her contributions to Transformative Change and Development in Nigeria, an annual colloquium, the “Professor Benedicta Egbo Annual Lecture” has been established in her honour.
