Investing in Education Vital for National Development – Immasuangbon

Funmi Ogundare

Chairman of Pacesetters Group of Schools in Abuja, Kenneth Imansuangbon, has said investing in education is vital for national development.

He also lauded Governor Godwin Obaseki’s efforts to reposition the education sector in Edo, highlighting his Basic Education Sector Transformation initiative.

Imansuangbon also explained why Nigeria must invest in education, noting that the importance of improving the quality of education in Nigeria and ensuring adequate funding of the sector cannot be overemphasised. 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.

However, the country’s education sector has been bedevilled by myriad challenges, including poor funding, paucity of quality teachers, poor governance, the politicisation of education, lack of infrastructure, poor learning environment, and lately insecurity.

The Chairman of Pacesetters Group of Schools, Abuja, Kenneth Imansuangbon, told THISDAY why no child should be left behind educationally and why the country must declare a state of emergency in the education sector rather than continue to wallow in the doldrums. He described the standard of education in Nigeria as worrisome due to poor funding.

“What is the percentage of budget allocation to education? What is the policy of Nigeria on education? What is the deliberate study on education? What is the investment of the elites in the country who have benefitted so much from education? What is the multinationals contribution to education? What is our deliberate strategy on education? What is the funding system for our education? Poor funding is the bane of our education sector today,” the Pacesetters owner stated.

According to him, developed countries give not less than 20 per cent of their budget to education, adding that Nigerian teachers must be given the attention and classrooms must meet international standards.

He urged the government to focus on ICT by imitating the Edo government’s Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) initiative as he commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for the initiative.

“With ICT, Governor Obaseki could monitor what is going on in the classrooms whether there are teachers there,” he noted. “He has been able to unbundle that aspect and ensured that more computers were utilised. He has been able to build human capacity by training teachers on what modern education requires, right from the foundational level.”

Edo children have improved now, according to Immasuangbon, doing better in WAEC and NECO since Obaseki came in.

“Statistics has it that Edo has moved from an educationally weak to a very enviable position compared with the past. The pupils could read better and assimilate better. Teachers are paid as and when due. He does not owe teachers’ salaries else it will kill their morale. When teachers’ morale is dampened, teaching is dampened,” he further stated.

The Pacesetters chairman stated during Obaseki’s visit to his school.

“The children who listened to him talk can never be the same. He would have inspired them to greatness. When former President Bill Clinton said he met JF Kennedy in 1960, he made up his mind as a young schoolboy that he was going to be the president of the United States of America, and he fulfilled his dreams,” said Immasuangbon.

Imasuangbon further explained that Obafemi Awolowo’s passion for education inspired him when the late elder statesman visited Ago Iwoye Secondary School, where he was a student.

“Some of us trekked to go and see him (Awolowo). When I saw Awolowo, that alone inspired me all through my life. That is why I took my source from the blessings of the late sage that education is key.”

The chairman further disclosed his plans to establish a university, saying that the motivation stemmed from the Pacesetters Group of Schools’ successes.

He stated that the group’s board of trustees had already applied to the National Universities Commission to start a university.

“We have been able to touch the foundation of education. After 20 years of hard work and support system for the development of education in Nigeria, it is time for us to move to the next level,” the Pacesetters boss stated. “Our success at the nursery, primary and secondary school levels gave us the confidence and conviction that there is a need for us to continue the good work we are doing at the tertiary level.”