Lagos deputy gov calls for reform in secondary school education

Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat has emphasised the need to reform secondary school education in the country, saying efforts should be made to graduate students who meet workplace needs.

Dr Hamzat, speaking during a meeting of the National Old Students Association of Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo, to celebrate the institution’s 80th-year anniversary, said an improved standard of education and a focus on workplace needs will prepare students for the challenges of the future.

The Lagos State deputy governor, who is an alumnus of the school, said “we need to rethink, reinvest and reimagine secondary education, as this must be the new chamber of leadership formation.”

He challenged educators, parents, governments at all levels, private sector actors, and alumni to makie secondary schools the launch pad of Nigeria’s renaissance.

He said: “As we celebrate Olivet’s 80-year legacy, we must recognise that its greatest achievement is not in the number of students it has produced, but in the quality of leadership, service, and societal transformation those graduates have delivered.

“From public service to private enterprise, from diplomacy to academia, the Olivet alumni community continues to be a constellation of stars illuminating Nigeria’s path to greatness. Let this anniversary be a clarion call to reinvest in our legacy, reignite the Olivet spirit, and ensure that the next 80 years birth an even more illustrious generation of leaders.

“At the core of today’s theme, “The Impact of Secondary School Education in Building Future Leaders”, rests a singular truth: no nation can rise above the quality of its education, and no generation can transcend the leadership limitations of its youth. This is as sure as sunrise in our country of over 200 million. Of the lot, over 60 per cent are young people.

“As I walked through the gates earlier, memories came flooding back—those early morning assemblies, the sound of the bell, the echo of footsteps across the corridor, the firm but loving guidance of our teachers, the laughter, the punishments, the friendships that have lasted a lifetime. This place did not just educate us; it shaped us.

“Secondary education is not merely a transitional phase in the educational journey. It is the training ground of leadership; a vital stage where minds are moulded, characters are sculpted, and visions are birthed.

“As the bridge between childhood and adulthood, it is a phase where responsibilities are introduced, and the world begins to be seen not just as it is, but as it could be. It is where students learn not just academic content, but values, such as resilience, accountability, civic consciousness, and the discipline required to lead selflessly and courageously.”

In his remarks, the National President of the Olivet Old Students Association, Dr Wale Okediran, said the school has witnessed a remarkable rise to an epitome of excellence in academics, sports and humanity.

He said in the last 80 years, the school has become the reference point for inter-school academic competitions /projects as well as sports in Nigeria.

Also, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Olusegun Ahmadu, appealed to the Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, to revive the boarding houses in the state’s education system.

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