Offodile: Educational Devt Most Important Factor for Equity, Inclusive Economic Growth

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA), Chudi Offodile, has stated that prioritising investment in Nigeria’s educational sector is the surest way to achieve equity and inclusive economic growth for the country.

Offodile stated this at the 4th edition of the Eko conference and colloquium organised by the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, Alumni Association Lagos Branch themed, “The Future of Education in Nigeria- An Outlook for 2023 and Beyond, “held in Lagos. 

According to him, education is a powerful driver of development and delivers large and consistent returns in terms of income, explaining that for individuals, education promotes employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction.

He pointed out that for societies, education drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion, stressing that developing countries have made tremendous progress in getting children into the classrooms.

In his words: “More children worldwide are now in school but learning is not guaranteed just by being in school. Learning methods and teaching methodologies are critical elements in achieving quality education. In Nigeria, sadly, we are faced with depressing official statistics of 20 million children out of school and 133 million out of a population of about 200 million living in multidimensional poverty.”

He stated that making smart and effective investments in people’s education is critical for developing the human capital that will in turn end extreme poverty, noting that there is incontrovertible proof that all the nations of the world that have escaped the poverty trap, focused primarily on education. 

“Every nation develops in relation to its achievements in education and no nation can rise above its standard of education. It follows therefore, that education is the future of Nigeria. | am proud of those of you who put this together. I am proud of the leadership of the CIC Old Boys Association, local and international, one of the best organised and most impactful of all such associations in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

“The educational sector is responsible for the production of the human resource quotient of development, the fulcrum for the growth of the civilized mind. It provides the foundation for the fertilisation of the intellect and a trigger of elevated thoughts. Moreover, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that education is a fundamental human right for everyone and of course, the right to education is indispensable for the exercise of other human rights,” he averred.

Earlier, the Colloquium Chairman, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu, delivering his paper titled “The dearth of education in Nigeria and the glorification of illiteracy in Igbo land” said he is a strong believer that although education is a social enterprise, but stated the need for a strong advocacy for private and community effort in the provision of qualitative education for the nation’s young citizens. 

He advised that for a country to grow and become productive, its educational system must be well catered to, otherwise, the country and its people will face grave and massive social, political and economic degradation that will deprive it the capacity to function progressively in all spheres.