Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Thursday that the Federal Government was working assiduously on initiatives that would restore quality education and sustainable future for Nigerians.
Osinbajo said this in Lagos during the 2019 edition of Edu360, organised by Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, with the theme “Education beyond walls”.
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The vice president, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, acknowledged that the inclusive prosperity of citizens required government commitment to inclusive education.
He said that the government had spent over N1.6 trillion in the education sector in the last few years through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), leading to improved literacy level, inclusive and qualitative education system.
“As a forward-thinking government, we remain committed to providing basic education for all,” Osinbajo said.
He said that with technology, education would be pursued by the government to fast track development, maximise impact and increase the country’s education indices.
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The vice president said that education beyond walls was an education not limited by anything and accessible by all citizens, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, political status or religious beliefs.
According to him, education beyond walls is a society where education takes its pride of place as a weapon to accelerate development and is supported by teachers who are committed and passionate.
Osinbajo said that the government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) prioritises human capital development, assuring that the government was committed to the continuous training and development of teachers to thrive in a dynamic society.
He called for deeper collaboration between the public and private sector to reposition the education system to its rightful pedestal, thus securing the future of the youths and the country.
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Osinbajo commended Union Bank for creating the platform that was geared at repositioning and advancing education in the country.
Mr Emeka Emuwa, Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank, said that moving from education within walls was the bank’s quest to prepare the stage for the future of education in the country.
He said that Union Bank had identified access, quality and investment as the three major issues affecting the education sector.
Emuwa said that the bank had resolved to solve them through sustained approach and initiatives similar to the Edu360 platform.
The bank chief said that investment in the education sector should be collaborative and not left to government alone.
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He said that the seven per cent budgetary allocation was inadequate for the education sector.
Emuwa called for a reform in the sector and urged stakeholders to adopt new approaches and think out of the box.
Also, Mrs Aishah Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the bank would continue to promote financial inclusion in the country.
Ahmad said that there was a nexus between education, financial inclusion and economic development.
She said that the CBN was working on modalities that would integrate financial literacy in the nation’s education curriculum.
