Don Seeks Improved Investment in Education for Global Relevance

Uchechukwu Nnaike

A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe has called for massive investment in the education sector if the country is to achieve global relevance and became one of the top 20 economies by 2020.

He made this known while delivering a lecture titled ‘Attaining Global Relevance and National Socio-economic Advancement through University Education’ at the 15th matriculation ceremony of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State for the 2016/2017 academic session.

The don also appealed to the federal government to upgrade the country’s polytechnics and colleges of education so as to provide access to quality education at all levels, adding that access and quality of education have been the major challenges in the nation’s institutions.
According to him, upgrading these institutions would offer the country more degrees that would improve technical manpower that will build the economy of the country.

”Parents want their wards to go to universities to have a career, but there are not enough spaces to accommodate all the admission seekers.”
Ibidapo-Obe blamed the underfunding of universities by the federal government for the myriad of challenges hindering infrastructure development in the institutions, and argued that the standard of education in the country in improving because most Nigerian graduates that go abroad for further studies excel in their various fields.

He also advised the federal government to be disciplined in tackling corruption in the country, saying, “corruption has been the bane of infrastructure development in the nation’s universities because the money that is supposed to be used in building infrastructure are embezzled by the leaders.”

In his remarks, the Chancellor of the institution, Dr. David Oyedepo, said everybody believes that the greatest problem in African was leadership.
Oyedepo said the university came into existence as result of passion for change which involves revolution in education, as well as the commitment to sustainable relevance.

He described sound education as a sure foundation of every great nation and stressed the importance of hard work among both staff and students, saying that nothing enhances worth like work.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Atayero, who congratulated the new students for being found worth of enlistment into “this royal academy out of the numerous thousands that applied for admissions,” said the matriculation is an opportunity for the university to inject new raw materials into its production line of raising a new generation of leaders for the continent and the world.

Related Articles