Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has called for collaboration among stakeholders to reform the secondary education sub-sector, saying there is a need to ensure that graduating students are equipped with relevant skills to meet 21st-century needs.

Speaking at a fundraising and award ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Olivet Baptist High School, Hamzat, who was the guest speaker, noted that the county’s education system is currently not evolving as the societal challenges it is meant to solve are still prevalent.

Reminding that no country can rise beyond the quality of its educational system, Hamzat, also an alumnus, described secondary education as the cornerstone and training ground for leadership.

He identified factors such as obsolete infrastructure, outdated curriculum and collapse of established culture, values and ethics, among others, as major barriers to a future-focused secondary education system.

He listed some of the values as resilience, accountability, civic consciousness, and the discipline required to lead selflessly and courageously.

“We need to rethink, re-invest and re-imagine secondary education, as this must be the new chapter of leadership formation and innovation to foster entrepreneurial mindsets that would lead Nigeria’s renaissance,” he stated.

While congratulating the school on its anniversary, Hamzat said the true essence of the celebration was its generational impact, as seen in the multi-dimensional contributions of its products to national and socio-economic development.

“As we celebrate Olivet’s 80-year legacy, we must recognise that its greatest achievement is not in the number of students it has produced but in the quality of leadership, service, and societal transformation those graduates have delivered.

The National President of the association, Dr Wale Okediran, said the school has, over the years, carved a unique niche as an epitome of excellence in academics, sports and humanity.

Okediran noted that in the last 80 years, the school has become a reference point for inter-school academic competitions, projects, and sports.

He said: “Over the years, Olivet has made tremendous efforts to develop a balanced curriculum, which nurtures the whole-person and development of each student.”

On his part, the Chairman of the anniversary planning committee, Dr Olusegun Ahmadu, appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to revive the school’s education system.

Ahmadu also noted that the boarding system is a vital pillar of quality secondary education, lamenting that its absence has caused a decline in education standards.