Govt alone can’t fund education ― Oyo ETF boss

THE Chairman, Oyo Chairmanucation Trust Fund, Chief Dr (Mrs) Onikepo Akande has stated that if Nigeria indeed as a country really want to develop its education sector, government alone cannot single-handedly fund education, thus calling on all meaningful stakeholders in the country to contribute to the sector.

Chief Akande made this during an interactive session with the senior course SC 41, 2018 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji with the management of the fund at the House of Chiefs, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The team comprises of three directing staff, one facilitator for the Nigerian Defence Academy and 24 students.

The study tour by the team tagged “Nigeria’s educational system and national development,” Mrs Akande said was relevant at this period when the country’s educational system needs serious attention.

According to her, “It has been observed on many occasions that the standard of education in the country has fallen, I personally believe that the quality of education and her products are what we must join hands to improve if they are to compete favourably with their counterpart in other parts of the world.

“In order to develop the educational system in this nation, everyone and in fact everybody must be ready to contribute more meaningfully to the system. It has come to be realised that Government alone cannot single-handedly fund education.

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“There are many parts to education, therefore teachers, parents, guardians, the society, religious groups and communities together with the government and students must not fail in playing their roles. It is after all these might have been taken care of that we must be seen to have achieved development in the nation’s education sector.

“I, therefore, see your tour in this regard as a means of evaluating the system with a view to putting up a strategy or making the required amendment towards the improvement of the system.”

In his address, the leader of the team and member of Directing Staff from Staff College, Jaji, Lt Col Ifeanyi Joseph Ajumuka said

A member of directing staff from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, and Acting team leader for the Armed Forces and Command staff College study group nine for Oyo state, Lt Col Ifeanyi Joseph Ajumuka said the team came as part of the Nigerian environmental study tour to visit the state to examine the education development of the state in pari pasor with the national development in Nigeria.

“Oyo state has started setting the pace in terms of education. This can be verified with programmes like Oyomesi, Oyo Education Trust Fund and we hope that in the nearest future, Oyo state will be the first in terms of education standard development in Nigeria.”

The Executive Secretary, Oyo state Education Trust Fund, Mrs Yetunde Fatoki thanked the tour team for choosing the state for their study, adding that the tour will further expose to the outside world unquantifiable educational development feat recorded in the state by the Senator Abiola Ajimobi led administration.