Give more attention to mathematics, expert tells govt

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been charged to declare a state of emergency in the teaching and learning of mathematics to tackle the lapses experienced in the subject.

The Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Prof. Adewale Solarin, who gave the charge in Abuja at the National Olympiads Award Ceremony for secondary schools in Nigeria, said there was a need for the centre to be placed directly under the presidency.

According to him, “We should declare national emergency in education in Nigeria, like it is done in some other countries. National emergency means that we all realise that mathematics affects everything, so the Presidency should just take it out of education, and then provide funds to improve it. The National Mathematical Centre should be moved to the Presidency and then funds can be gotten from various agencies to fund it for about 3-4years, then what we are seeing now would be behind us.”

He stated that about N1.8 billion was needed to fully solve the challenges facing mathematics in the country.