Says pulling Nigerians out of poverty requires massive investment in education
The Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate for the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, yesterday said: “Nigeria is ill-prepared for development, if it does not address its 20 million out-of-school children.”
Obi bemoaned the fact that there were more out-of-school children in Nigeria than persons living in Singapore, Norway, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates combined.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of students of Pacesetters Academy, Abuja, the former governor of Anambra State, added that “investing in education is vital for national development.”
He said: “You can’t have 20 million children out of school, that is what the UNICEF said, and be thinking about development tomorrow.
“When they talk about 20 million children out of school, people will not understand it, but I can tell you that if you follow the 2022 analysis on the population of countries, we are talking about the population of Norway, Ireland, Singapore and Dubai put together. If you put the population of these successful countries together, their population is 19.7 million and we have 20 million out-of-school children.
“We have the population of more than these four thriving and developed countries put together out of school kids. You can imagine what it would be if we invest in that area.”
Obi, who was the keynote speaker at the event, noted that investment in education played a critical role in long-term productivity and growth of any nation.
He further stated that this would prepare the ground for a skilled workforce that would be globally competitive and provide a lasting socio-economic development for the country.
“For me, education is the most important thing any national needs. It has been shown in various studies that what differentiates development and underdevelopment is education.
“The more you remove people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality and you can’t do that unless you invest in Education. The more people are educated, the more they are able to pull themselves from poverty.
He also condemned the conferment of national honours on corrupt individuals by the past administration.
Chairman, Pacesetters schools, Abuja, Kenneth Imansuangbon, said the pupils have been given all-round qualitative education that distinguishes them from their counterparts in other schools, stressing that the school has high esteem for determination and hard work, which produces success both in academics and extra curricula activities.
“We have trained them well. They should go out and represent the country as ambassadors, they are the future of Nigeria.
“Nigeria needs change and I believe the training they have received puts them in a better position to represent this country because they are the future of Nigeria.
In his remarks earlier at the event, the new Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammad Hameen Nuhu Sunusi decried the declining standard of education in the country.
He noted that the recent ‘japa’ syndrome in the country is as a result of the poor management if Nigeria’s resources.
The emir added that the giving his track records, the Chairman, Pacesetters schools, Abuja, Imansuangbon would transform the education sector of Edo State when he becomes a governor.
