Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday said his administration will continue to prioritize the development of the education sector in the state through an increase in the education budget.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was in Abuja for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) via zoom on the opening day of a two-day 2022 Lagos State Education Summit held at Eko Hotel and Suites with the theme; “Creating a Sustainable Fit-for-Purpose Education Model.”
The governor, who was, however, represented physically by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Folasade Jaji, said his administration had completed over 1000 education projects in the last three (3) years, adding that improved education is one of the legacies he wished to leave behind by the time he left office.
Sanwo-Olu further said the Summit came at the right time when the state had recorded improvement in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) results from 40per cent to 80per cent.
“Education is not just a pillar in one of our THEMES agenda, it’s one of the dividends of democracy and one of the cardinal objectives of our administration. We see it as one of the tools that can end poverty in our system.
“We are not paying lip service to education, we are taking it seriously. Education has continued to receive an increased budget in our administration.
“I am happy this Summit will be a platform where we can digest what we are presently doing,” he said.
Speaking further, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration was looking at improving the welfare and needs of the teachers, as well as working with private schools to improve the education sector, noting that the Ekoexcel Initiative was one of the major success stories of his administration in the education sector.
“We believe we can do more. At the end of the Summit, we can have a real conversation with the private schools and work with them to ensure we get more out of Out-Of-School children,” the governor assured.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said Nigeria had a lot to do in improving the education sector, adding the Summit was organised to find solutions to the problems of education in the country.
The commissioner said Lagos is an important player in education in Nigeria being the sixth largest economy in Africa, pointing out that the state was making use of technology in teaching as shown in the Ekoexcel Initiative.
“This Summit is about audacity. Some of the outcomes of this Summit will contribute to the process of solving education problems in Nigeria. The focus is not on the problems but now we want to come up with solutions. We want practical ideas that the state can implement. We are ready to listen.
“The state has implemented 210 out of 220 resolutions since the inception of the administration. We have employed over 7000 teachers to replace our fast ageing teachers, Lagos State teachers are the best paid in Nigeria and we have executed 1,400 projects,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor, Pan Atlantic University, Nigeria, Prof. Enase Okonedo, in her lecture, lamented the decay in the education sector, saying the knowledge-based system that Nigeria now practises is no longer appropriate.
According to her, the system only allows the students to read for exams and pass after which they forget what they have been taught, thereby failing to prepare them for the practical application of what they have learnt
“Education transforms society. We need to invest in our future. We need character, we need values. Education can improve the socio-economic life of its people.
“Education can give a sense of justice and freedom, it strengthens the mind. Lagos is deemed to be a heavy market for private education so it’s necessary we begin to look at education as a process of training the mind,” she said.
“We are not educating, for now, we are educating for the future. Our education system should prepare the students not just to survive. We must change the system now so that our youth can succeed in changing Nigeria.
“I urge stakeholders to see education as investments. Our youth deserves an education that can make them thrive in an ever-changing world,” she added.
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