Fayemi: Why we must urgently rejig our educational system

Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), says there is a need to urgently rejig the educational system of the country.

He said this on Monday at the official flag-off of the innovation development and effectiveness in acquisition of skills (IDEAS) project in Abuja.

The IDEAS project is a programme organised by the federal ministry of education in patnership with the World Bank. The World Bank is supporting participating states with $200 million credit facility for implementation.

Participating states are Abia, Benue, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe and Kano.

Fayemi, who was represented by Olabimpe Aderiye, Ekiti commissioner for education, science and technology, spoke on the topic, ‘Re-engineering the Nigerian Mind from White Collar to Blue Collar Enterprises’, urged stakeholders in the sector to develop a new approach to education in the country.

“On a general note, education is an essential aspect of civilisation and it is an impetus for individual and societal growth and development,” he said.

“Therefore, no contemporary nation can toy with her educational system, because the educational system of a country will speak volumes about her progress.

“The educational system bequeathed to us by our colonial masters and the current system of education in Nigeria are gradually being overtaken by civilisation and technological advancement, manifesting in artificial intelligence, automation robotics and the like, thereby resulting in educational policy summersault and labour market congestion, with its attendant vices.

“Arising from this standpoint therefore, there is the urgent need to rejig our educational system to proffer solutions to the avalanche of challenges confronting us as a nation.

“It is high time we tackled the menace with strong determination for a paradigm shift from the white collar to the blue-collar enterprises.”

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, in his remarks, thanked the World Bank for supporting the country on the IDEAS project.

He said the project would help the country to improve its economy, adding that the workshop would support the capacity of monitoring and evaluation officers to carry out their designated roles effectively.