LAGOS – Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi just isn’t a stranger in taking daring steps and actions as an advocate of fine governance. Dr Akinyemi, a cleric and public affairs analyst, who’s the Convener, Apostolic Spherical Desk (ART), on Thursday October 17, 2024 lamented the state of education in Nigeria, insisting that it may have been higher.
The occasion, held on the Virginrose Resorts Resort, 1231A Bishop Oluwole Cole Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, was meant to mark the United Nations Worldwide Day for Poverty Eradication. It was underneath the Worldwide Affiliation of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA).
Aside from Dr Akinyemi, who delivered the keynote deal with, there have been additionally eminent Nigerians like HRM Eberechukwu Oji, Eze Aro IX of Arochukwu Kingdom; HRM. Amb. Joseh Okikiola Ikudaisi Shomade; HRM Ugoeze Nneoma Oji, represented by his spouse; His Eminence, Prof Chidi Ehirilodo, Worldwide Director, IAWPA, who represented the president, World Peace, His Eminence Per Stafsen of the Kingdom of Denmark. Additionally, there have been prime personalities from all walks of life, spanning such areas as faith, governance, politics and enterprise.
In his keynote deal with titled ‘Poverty Eradication By means of Total Schooling’, Dr Akinyemi acknowledged that folks shouldn’t assume to know the meanings of key phrases within the matter of debate. He defined poverty because the state of being extraordinarily poor, or lack in primary wants of life.
Such primary wants of life, he famous was categorised by the United Nations as water, meals, clothes and shelter, whilst he careworn that the essence of the assembly was to hunt methods to destroy poverty utterly, or put an finish to it. This, he stated, might be achieved by means of education, which he maintained is the method of receiving or giving systematic directions.
The Bicycle System
Akinyemi spoke of the Bicycle System which, he stated, “is the challenge of African Academic System,” which he stated was designed by our colonial masters principally to reinforce stewardship by way of communication.
He maintained that the departure of nations like China, India, Singapore and Malaysia from the tutorial system designed for them by their colonial masters has led to their improvement and relevance on the worldwide stage.
“That is what Africa must do, sit down and design the system of schooling for the place we’re with the place we need to be in view. We can not compete with the remainder of the world of their phrases and conditions,” he careworn.
In line with him, “Schooling as a system might be formal or informal. Schooling turns into formal when it’s given in a faculty or university. Schooling can also be outlined as an enlightening expertise. Experience! That’s the power of informal Schooling. Enlightenment. Expertise!!
“For instance, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is an efficient enterprise man, it’s an schooling to look at him. Chief Michael Adeojo is an efficient workman; it’s an schooling to look at him. Mr Peter Obi is an efficient dealer; it’s an schooling to look at him. The trio are establishments constructed from Indigenous Apprenticeship System of Schooling.
“The Almajiri system of Education produced the Dantata and Dangote enterprise dynasties. The Apprenticeship System should be adopted as a casual system of schooling if the problem of out of college kids is a menace to our existential actuality.”
He lamented that Nigeria’s Out Of Faculty (OOS) standing is damming. He defined that one in three kids is out of college; 10.2 million at main college stage and eight.1 million kids on the junior secondary stage. A complete of 18.3 million kids, he added, are roaming the streets. Poverty is a sin for which schooling should be declared an emergency for us to eradicate it.
“In line with the A number of Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021, three in 4 kids aged 7-14 years can not learn with underneathstanding or resolve a easy mathematics downside.
“The Igbo Boy Boy system has produced numerous Billionaires who grew in enterprise counting cash and fixing monetary equations.
“Sadly, for no matter cause, the northern Almajiri system of schooling that produced the grandfather of Alhaji Aliko Dangote was corrupted by politics of faith. It’s not producing profitable enterprise males, however miscreants who’re instruments of political upheavals.
“The Southwest system was overwhelmed by western education. With Bata mi a dun ko ko ka, we misplaced the appreciation for expertise acquisition and entrepreneurial venturing. We grew to become seekers of white collar jobs; which at present are not there.”
In line with him, the Southeast mannequin was nevertheless sustained and the success of Igbo casual system of schooling stares us within the face. He careworn: “Go to Onitsha (An Igbo metropolis of markets thought to be the Largest Market in West Africa).
“Go to Aba, Enyimba Metropolis (An Igbo metropolis of markets which is regarded because the Japan of Africa to see the enviable outcomes of boy boy mannequin).
“Go to Nnewi (An indigenous Igbo enterprise group of markets thought to be having the best quantity and density of Black African Multi-Millionaires on earth to savour what casual system of instructional engagement may do to a folks).”
He acknowledged {that a} one-time governor of Lagos State gave Lagosians two ‘universities’, one, formal and official, and the opposite casual and unofficial. He defined that “the formal and official was named, Lagos State College, now renamed after one of the best governor that ever dominated the State, Lateef Kayode Jakande.
“Let me invite you to the informal college he left with us, AIM College! Who will inform me the complete identify of the college? Alaba Worldwide Market University! A as soon as uninhabitable swamp for rising rice and sugarcane; “Opened up by LKJ, Baba Kekere. It grew to become populated by the resilient folks of South East Nigeria to change into the unofficial college, the place numerous billionaires and nonetheless counting are graduating from; into the world of companies.
“Go to Kano (the large enterprise metropolis in Northern Nigeria). The sight of the groundnut pyramid is misplaced, however not the enterprise venturing of graduates of the boy-boy apprenticeship programme of the Igbo nation.
“Go to Port Harcourt, Igwe Òcha (The Nigerian Oil Metropolis), simply to say however a couple of and see on yourselves rich Igbo males who brag with what number of millionaires that they had ‘minted’ in the midst of their lives greater than what number of thousands and thousands they personally had.
“They brag about their newer and youthful millionaires who offered the identical issues, competing with their former masters, taking over, coaching and mentoring extra competitors who would create extra opponents and mint their very own millionaires again and again.”
In line with Akinyemi, “Boy- Boy is the age-long profitable Igbo Apprenticeship System to Wealth. If the Igbo ‘boy-boy’ system is so profitable and has confirmed maintainin a position; why gained’t we recognise, undertake and incorporate it into our formal system of schooling?”
He then delved into what he termed Current Regional Poverty Stats (share of inhabitants in every area). In line with him, North Central (NC) is 60.7%; North East (NE), 69.1%; North West (NW), 71.4%; South West (SW), 49.8%; South East (SE), 59.5% and South South (SS), 55.5%.
Akinyemi concluded: “Complete education would attend to education the pinnacle because the seat of mind, the center because the seat of morals and the fingers as the house of expertise. We will likely be prepared to offer analysis assets on Complete Schooling that may assist eradicate poverty in Nigeria working with the Ministry of Schooling and the Industrial Coaching Fund because the coaching company of the Ministry of Indusattempt because the part of technical schooling for industrial development.”
HRM, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji in his appreciation speech, stated the occasion captured the essence of the large concern of the time: Nigeria, Africa and certainly the world has a poverty problem.
Quoting Statista.com, Dr Oji stated: “This 2024 International Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report by UNDP reveals that 1.1 billion of 6.3 billion folks dwell in acute multidimensional poverty, over half of them kids.
“In 2024, round 429 million people in Africa have been residing in excessive poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. {dollars} a day.”
He additionally made reference to the World Financial institution, which stated that despite having the biggest financial system and inhabitants in Africa, Nigeria gives restricted alternatives to most of its residents.
In line with him, “The poverty charge is estimated to have reached 38.9% in 2023, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians residing beneath the poverty line — the world’s second-largest poor inhabitants after India.”
He urged everybody of their respective roles to proceed to be ambassadors of peace, utilizing our affect—whether or not non secular, cultural, or political—to foster a world the place understanding prevails over hatred, and love triumphs over diimaginative and prescient.
