Education

Education, key to national development – Akinkuotu

Lady Akinkuotu and graduands

By Obinna Nnorom

The proprietress and founder of Liberty College, Bada, Ipaja, Lagos State, Nigeria, Lady Mary Akinkuotu, has stressed the need for the government to restore functional education in the country for effective human capacity and economic development.

Lady Akinkuotu, made the call at the college’s 2020 session graduation ceremony held at the institution’s auditorium.

She said that education is key to the development of Nigeria, noting that the country can only achieve meaningful development at all spheres of its economy if there are adequate and consistent investments in its educational system.

She pointed that progressive nations of today had over the years focused on human capacity development which they are reaping bountifully with manifestation of favourable economy.

“Education is the bedrock of development of any nation. It is the key to human development. Advanced countries of today are reaping the benefits of the seeds consistently sowed in their education system for many years.”

The founder of the college emphasized the need for proper education policy frame-works with sustainable implementation by the government to right the decadence in the system.

Graduands on procession

The proprietress advised the graduands to direct their energy to studies and not allow themselves to be distracted by the negative trends in the society.

“Today, you are going into the world to compete with your mates out there. But you cannot be relevant in the global market if you do not study hard with good results. So take advantage of education to advance yourselves.” She challenged.

She told the graduands that education offers them unlimited opportunities to harness their potentials, as she reminded them of the need to be good ambassadors of the institution.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Director of the college, Sir Bernard Akinkuotu, noted that the progress of a nation can only be measured with the quality of its education.

But why should a nation invest in education? Asked Akinkuotu questioned with an answer provided.

“Education is the only thing that can be used to ward off ignorance and eradicate poverty and crimes in a society. Education is the bedrock of science and technology. A nation that embraces education attains unlimited heights in life.”

Sir Akinkuotu

Sir Akinkuotu expressed sadness about the abysmal state of the country’s education, which the nation is paying the price heavily.

“The quest for money-making in Nigeria today is at variance with education department. Today, what people are talking about is money-making instead of intellectual development which is the key.”

He challenged the graduands to study hard so as to be competitive at the global market in order to fit into the dynamic global economy.

“As students, you need to study hard because education prepares you for a higher ground. Don’t be deceived by what people are saying these days that education no longer matters.”

The director of the college challenged the government at all levels to do the needful in order to restore the nation’s lost glory through adequate funding and consistent policy implementation of the country’s educational system.

“The children of people in government today, are studying abroad. Everyday, we hear about them graduating from the best universities in Europe and America etc. And when these children return to the country they continue from where their parents stopped. No, the government must reverse this trend and fix the system.” He advised.

At the graduation, various prizes were presented to the best students in science, arts and commercial departments of the school as recipients of the gifts pledged to be good ambassadors of the institution and the nation.

Similarly, some teaching and non academic staff were equally offered prizes for their excellence in service to the school.

The ceremony which had in attendance, members of the institution’s academia, parents, friends and well-wishers was spiced up with cultural dances and fun-fare.

Established twenty years ago, Liberty College has produced materials that are today graduates of medicine, engineering, computer science, accountancy etc from various tertiary institutions across the country.

The school is also involved in social responsibility projects as it awards yearly, scholarships to students from indigent homes as part of its contribution to the progress of the society.