2022 Lagos Education Summit: Intervention To Ensure Better, Productive Children – Hamzat

BY BENJAMIN OMOIKE

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, says the focus of interventions of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Administration on education is ensuring all children that pass through the state’s system of education come out better and productive.

Hazmat made the assertion on Wednesday on the second day of the 2022 Lagos Education Summit themed: “Creating A Sustainable Fit-For-Purpose Education Model”.

He said the place of comprehensive schools which Lagos has commenced, remains important, stating that the essence of the reforms and interventions was to ensure “every child that goes through the system comes out better and enhanced.”

On getting out-of-school children back to the classrooms, he said: “I know SUBEB (Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board) does a lot of that; goes out there to bring back children that has left school.

“The question is what do we need to do? SUBEB was able to identify why those children are out of school and they solve those problems after bringing those children back to school.

“In Lagos, it is not just about statistics but the practicality of what we are doing; how do we bring children back to school? How do we give them the best?”

He mentioned that it was important to create a sustainable education system fit-for-purpose, but maintained the conversation must be taken to the front of concrete steps for implementation.

In her remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for what she described as “his effort and insistent passion in ensuring that quality and purposeful education continues to be provided for the teaming population of our State as provided in the THEMES agenda.”

“Whenever the story of this event is told, the huge investment in the education sector under the watch of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will always be a reference,” she said.

She mentioned that Western countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America have been able to achieve their feat with significant commitment and plans in their education sector.

“It is important that our young minds receive a quality education,” she said, mentioning that to achieve the Lagos 30-year development plan targeted at making Lagos a mega city that is self-secured where young men and women are equipped with the desired capacity,  “we must leave no stone unturned that education must provide for the kind of future we desire.”

“We as stakeholders must come together and achieve that success, especially when Mr Governor (Sanwo-Olu) have invested so much in technology to make this possible,” she said.

In her remarks, the State’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, said education is an important tool for the future of children.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is working tirelessly to work on our education future now. Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world,” she said

Stakeholders have since Tuesday during the two-day summit themed “Creating a Sustainable Fit-For-Purpose Education Model”   reviewed the vision of Nigeria’s curriculum in the reality of the world and the importance of stakeholders’ collaboration.

In her speech, the Ambassador of Education at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Marjaana Sall, said it was essential to consider a quality education system and learning for all students critical as the bedrock for national development.

She linked the rapid development of  her Country which according to her was “100 years ago among the poorest in the world, but now the happiest” to deliberate investment in  education.

Mentioning that teachers must be motivated, valued and trained for  competence, she submitted that orientation of education system should be anchored “on teaching for life not for exams,” with continuous reforms.

Wife of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olori Atuwatse III,  projected how pleasant Nigeria would look if a fit-for-purpose education is implemented.

According to her, Nigeria is at a critical time when the need to inject hope through a more viable system of education is significant.

She applauded the Lagos State Government for hosting the policy formation gathering, but argued that the ongoing conversation must be taken beyond mere discussion to “tenacious implementation.”

The Chair person, Conference of Private Schools Association in Lagos State, Dr. Femi Ogunsanya, said following after South Korea’s path of blending character development with intelligence in the curriculum system was important.

She said to have education form the bedrock of development, the goals must be clearly stated with a roadmap, for all sides both teachers and students to work around.

Senior Education Specialist to the World Bank, Dr. Tunde Adekola, said it was important to ensure investment in education is result oriented, mentioning that “spending is different from investment,” and as such the Government must begin to  “invest smartly and wisely.”

He said it was important to ensure value-added conversation to augment Lagos measures, calling for critical assessment for improvement.

In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment (SDGs&I), Solape Hammond, said it was essential to measure the impacts of critical interventions, stating that “what you don’t measure, you don’t manage.”