Education Minister to Nigerians: Nigeria’s greatness lies in our collective efforts

The Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, has urged every Nigerian including fresh graduates to rise and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country, saying only the collective efforts of citizens can make Nigeria becoming a great and prosperous nation.

He gave this advice in Lagos on Tuesday while delivering the 28th convocation lecture of the Lagos State University (LASU) at its main campus in Ojo.

He spoke on the topic, “Patriotism, citizenship, and national ownership: The imperative of collective responsibility for Nigeria’s future.”

According to the minister, the future of our dear nation Nigeria lies not solely in the hands of the government but in the collective resolve of its citizens.

He said every individual including the graduating student must have to hold a share of this responsibility, by joining other Nigerians to embrace respective roles as patriots, responsible citizens, and stakeholders in the business of national development.

While underscoring the interconnectivity of patriotism and responsible citizenship with national development, the minister placed emphasis on the critical role played by education in fostering these values, especially among youths.

According to him, true patriotism goes beyond mere allegiance to the country’s flag or singing of national anthem as it is encompassing to include unwavering commitment to the nation’s progress, unity, and development.

The minister also noted that people should see their citizenship status either by birth, naturalization, registration or honourary as not only to enjoy rights but to actively participate in the growth and governance of the country.

He however, acknowledged the various socio-economic and political challenges confronting Nigeria, expressing great optimism to ride above them for a better Nigeria that every citizen will be proud of.

Alausa congratulated the graduands and also commended LASU for training them, urging the young graduates to continue learning and be focused and committed to making positive impact as they go about their journeys in life.

In her remark earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, also stated that true patriotism, citizenship and collective ownership is not just about possession of Nigeria’s green passport but about individual contribution to the peace, progress and prosperity of the country.

She appreciated both the convocation lecturer, Dr Olatunji Alausa and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who chaired the event for accepting to perform their respective roles, noting that the graduands, faculty as well as the society would find their knowledge and thoughts shared at the event impactful.

Nevertheless, the vice chancellor expressed worry over the removal of History as a subject of learning from the primary school curriculum, saying the development had really created deep generational wounds, especially among the young ones.

She, therefore, praised the current government for its move to return the teaching of the subject back to schools, emphasising that Nigeria cannot afford to lose a sense of its rich history.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE