Quality, not free education needed in Nigeria- Dr Imafidon tells Tinubu
An Education expert, Dr. Dennis E. Imafidon has called on the federal government led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to really give room for quality education delivery in the country.
The expert, who doubles director, Apex Olive College and Apex Tutor, Ile-Ife, Osun State made this submission as he was conferred an honourary doctorate degree, Prowess University, Delaware, USA, in Educational Management, with its 9th Honourary induction and 5th Investiture of Fellowship Award of Eccolerite Institute of Peace Advancement held on Saturday at the Balogun Subomi Hall, University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Dr. Imafidon condemned large turn-out of graduates in the country to the labour world, with usual less productivity.
He added that the free education programmes by some state governors is beginning to fail as the result herewithal raises outcry from analysts around the world, while appreciating the essence of student loan, as proposed by the government,said it would greatly reduce mass illiteracy in the country.
However, Dr. Imafidon raised concern over the loan, calling for its sincere implementation to give its target audience education privileges.
” Free education is okay. It is not about free education but about qualitative education. You cannot say education is free, then you now give something that is watery, whitewashed, lacking lustre, and at the end of the day, people are nit properly educated, and by the time they are through, finish the so-called education, they can’t establish , stand alone, defend their certification, and that is where the problem is . A lot of graduates turned out from our many institutions are not employable in the company, firm, industry. “
” If we have the qualitative education that is free, it will do us good. Like in our school ,Apex Olive College, we promote education of high repute, including
procurement of laboratory gadgets, facilities and infrastructure to aid education advancement”, he said.
Dr. Imafidon called the government at all levels, other education stakeholders, parents, school management and students to be sincere with the education funding, while the government makes better staff welfare packages a watchword for a desired delivery.
Earlier, a Togolese Professor of Economics, Olubodun Olayiwola while delivering a keynote lecture titled ” Evaluation of Human Capital Development as a strategy for increasing productivity in an organization”, emphasized the need for regular training of workers, believed reliance on good certification has been a bane of human capital development of every African country.
Olubodun Olayiwola reiterated that the the country Nigeria must imitate other developed countries, including USA, China who do not only get satisfied by certificate, but with skills acquired by an individual.
The African Representatives, Prowess University, Delaware, USA, Prof. Eze C. Nwauba, represented by Dr. Olaolu Ayodele,from the federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, charged every education stakeholder to form a synergy for a worthwhile education delivery.
