Stakeholders seek improved funding of Nigeria’s education sector

As part of the moves toward repositioning Nigeria’s education system, stakeholders have urged governments at all levels to commit sufficient resources to the sector for the overall good of the country.

The stakeholders made the call on Sunday at the unveiling of the renovated school library of Egba Owode Grammar School executed by members of 1977/1982 set.

They were unanimous in their submissions that the challenge of brain drain had been on the increase since the requisite facilities to work with in schools were not in place, hence the need for government to act quickly.

Vice-Chairman, Obafemi Owode Local Government, Hon. Titus Babatunde, noted that most schools did not have the requisite infrastructure to leverage.

Babatunde, who is also an alumnus of the school, noted that the project had become imperative, as it would further boost educational development in the school.

“If you look around the country, you’ll find out that there has continued to be brain drain in the sector because students don’t have the facilities to work with.

“The little ones those who had come up in the years past are now migrating to other places, but if there are no infrastructure, what are you going to use to replace those who are leaving?” he said.

Also speaking, the President of EOGS 77/82, Mr Samuel Soneye, said that the project, which he described as a give-back to their alma mata, was aimed at celebrating their 40 years of graduation from the school.

He noted that one of them had pointed out the deplorable state of infrastructure in the school as well as the encroachment on the school land.

This, he said, had brought about the idea of rehabilitation of the dilapidated school library to serve as a giveback to the school.

On his part, Chairman of Egba Economic Summit, Chief Shina Luwoye, said it was important for government to pay more attention to activities of secondary schools across the country.

Luwoye said it became imperative following the rise in youth restiveness and their continuous engagements with some politicians to embark on some nefarious activities.

He decried the neglect of many government schools in the state, which, he said, had produced many great men and women.

“State governments in the last administration continued to build gigantic schools that did not have students or software to build the students.

“They could have done better to come to schools like this to build more classrooms and equip them,” he said.

The Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, thanked the set for the gesture which, he said, was a demonstration of patriotism toward their alma mata.

The traditional ruler noted that one of the very important things in a school was the library which the students could make use of to better enhance their learning and understanding.

He urged other class sets to emulate them and do even more.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria