Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has called for more investment in education to help close knowledge gap, provide more platforms and prepare younger generations for the tasks and challenges ahead.
He made the call yesterday while chatting with newsmen at the 3rd convocation ceremony of a privately owned Baze University, Abuja.
The governor challenged well endowed Nigerians to support the education sector by investing in it, stressing that aside from the returns on such investments, the country’s development will be better guaranteed and future assured.
Governor Sani Bello also advised that investment in education can also be considered in the quest for diversification of the nation’s economy.
“It is high time for our well endowed and we’ll meaning Nigerians to invest more in education. This will grossly help to bridge the knowledge gap, widen space for our teeming young population who are yearning for qualitative education and prepare them for the tasks ahead.
“In the same vein, as we seek to diversify our economy in the face of global oil crisis, one opportunity that is open to us as a country is building a knowledge based economy that will provide platform for our youthful population to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the country.
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“We can turn around our depressed economy by investing more on education. An investment on education is an insurance for a better economy and national development and growth,” governor stated.
He pointed out that various academic exploits recorded by Nigerians abroad was “an attestation to the fact that if more investment is made at home on the sector, capital flight will drastically reduced, brain drain curtailed and economy improved”.
On his efforts at re-positioning education in the state, Gov. Sani Bello said in actualizing the priority attention given to the sector, government recently entered into an agreement with Cambridge University, United Kingdom to develop a new curriculum for the entire education sector in the state with a view to providing a sustainable and implementatble programmes.
“We are committed to re-positioning the education sector for our state to attain the desired position. We are renovating our secondary schools to UNESCO standard, ensuring teachers education and providing funding for all levels of the sector,” the governor disclosed.
Governor Sani Bello commended the foresight and vision of the founder and Pro-Chancellor of Baze University, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed for establishing the citadel of learning at this crucial point of our nation building and expressed optimism that the institution will go a long way to close the gap in provision of qualitative tertiary education.
“I am not surprised by the standard of Baze University, having known the founder for decades as someone who follows through his vision with high level of commitment and dedication to set and actualize goals”.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the ceremony also maintained that the future of the country depend on our ability to effectively re-position the education sector for maximum national growth and development.
Twenty one of 249 students graduated with first class honours.
Jibrin Baba Ndace
Chief Press Secretary
8th October, 2016.
