Declare emergency on education, FG told at Lagos Poly convocation

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been urged to declare a state of emergency in the education sector.

A guest lecturer at the 13th convocation ceremony of the Lagos City Polytechnic and managing director of Kresta Laurel Limited, Mr Dideolu Falobi, made call in Lagos in his address entitled ‘Enhancing the Standard of Tertiary Education in Nigeria’.

He also urged the government to revamp the sector through the provision of critical infrastructure, better funding, quality remuneration for staff, amongst others.

Dideolu identified inadequate funding, brain drain, instability of academic calendar, cultism, drug abuse, among others, as vices that have hampered tertiary education in Nigeria.

He said, “The enhancement of the standards of education in Nigeria at all level is the responsibility of all stakeholders, including and not limited to the parents, students, promoters, institutions’ management, staff and the regulatory authorities.

“Everybody must identify and play their role. However, the Federal Government must declare a state of emergency in the educational sector. The decay, the rot and the level of decadence are too much.

“The children that are not trained might not allow those that are trained to live in peace; hence, the future and time is ripe for the government to act.”

He said education remained the bedrock of any nation’s development, and that a state of emergency in the sector would go a long way in saving the future of the youths and all relevant stakeholders.

“Education should be the second most important function of the government after the security of lives and properties, and it is the foundation upon which developed societies are built,” he noted.

He advised the granduands to commit themselves to continuous learning to improve the society, and pursue excellence at all times.

The chairman, governing council, Lagos City Polytechnic, Mr Babatunde Odufuwa, said the institution graduated 658 students, comprising 264 National Diploma holders and 394 Higher National Diploma.

The 658 were from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as well as the School of Business and Management Studies.

The institution conferred an honorary fellowship on Dideolu and Dr Adelaja Omofade for their outstanding contributions to education development.

The governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Abosede Adelaja, in his keynote address  enjoined graduands to be worthy ambassadors of the school and the state, adding that their various professions were crucial to the development of the state.

The acting rector of the institution, Mr Oluseye Adebiyi, advised graduands to make worthy impacts in their chosen field with good legacy and imprints for future posterity.