President Muhammadu Buhari in London, on Thursday, acknowledged that in trying to ensure that citizens get their desired education, Nigeria’s huge geographical size and population have always posed huge challenges to its governments.
Fielding questions from the moderator of the panellists in Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Global Education Summit of Heads of State that took place in the British capital, he said Nigerians recognized that individual and community successes depended on good education and were actively working to ensure their children and wards get a good education.
President Buhari was on the panel with his counterparts from other African countries including President Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), President Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana), President Faure Eyadema (Togo) and President Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi).
The summit was co-hosted by British Prime Minster Boris Johnson and Kenyatta to mobilise funds for the transformation of the education sector in countries.
Each President spoke on the peculiarities of the education sector of his country, and how budgetary provisions would be increased to ameliorate the situation.
They all raised their hands as a sign of commitment to that resolution.
President Buhari had earlier committed to raising the budget for education by 50% in the next two years, and the country would attain a 100 per cent increase by 2025.
Buhari noted the problems of infrastructure in terms of classrooms and inadequate teachers, as he observed that rather than be in the classrooms, qualified Nigerians preferred higher-paying jobs.
The President assured that Nigerians are prioritising education because they realize that if they miss their chance for good education, they would have lost their chance to succeed in life.
In response to the moderator’s question about how Nigeria can deal with disparities given the fact that education is a critical issue in Nigeria with which people can pull themselves out of poverty and allow society to transform itself on an aggregate level, President Buhari said: “I think you have said it all. Being over 200 million and the size of the country itself, it’s a major challenge for any administration.
“But luckily, people have realised that education in Nigeria is a starting point. Anybody who missed the opportunity of education will miss everything because you cannot succeed outside your educational qualification.
This is very clear to everybody. Hence, the fight for the opportunity for education is very severe.
The problem of infrastructure, physical and intellectual, physical in the sense of classrooms, equipment, etc; intellectual in the sense that the teachers, and convincing those who are really qualified to go into the teaching profession. They would rather go to where engineers are wanted where they would award contracts rather than fight children day in and day out.
“So, I assure you that Nigerians are acutely aware of the priority of education and they are going all to make the necessary saving, to make the necessary inputs to make sure that their children and their wards get their opportunities for the best of education.”
President Buhari also had a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the sidelines of the summit where both leaders appraised the war against different forms of terrorism in Nigeria and agreed that the judicial process is allowed to run its course.
The two leaders said it was important that the judicial process runs without interference, no matter who was involved.
President Buhari briefed the Prime Minister on Nigeria’s power needs and efforts being made, as well as initiatives geared at achieving food security.
He also reviewed the security situation in the different regions of the country, while PM Johnson pledged Britain’s preparedness to lend a helping hand. “We are available to help,” he said.
The two leaders equally discussed how to increase trade between the two countries, develop solar and wind power, the leadership of the Commonwealth going forward and other matters of mutual interest.
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Education: Nigeria’s size, population major challenge for any government ― Buhari
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