Mr Femi Adesina, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, on Friday called on all tiers of Government to collaborate to revamp the nation’s education sector.
Adesina said this at the inauguration of an educational Television Reality Programme scheduled to commence production in February 2014, at Welcome Hotels, Ajao Estate, Lagos.
The theme of the show was “Highflyer”.
According to him, “if human development does not take effect through education, the country has a big problem at hand.
“If we do not develop human resources by creating and educating persons, we will not be able to go anywhere in this country.
“Many states are not taking education seriously because over time, they allowed a lot of decay in school infrastructure,” he said.
“We can not train future leaders like this; they are not getting the needed attention to make them better persons,” he said.
Adesina, who is also the Deputy Managing Director, Sun Newspapers, however, noted that government needed to create and fund the education sector, as stipulated by UNESCO.
He held that a bailout should be given to the education sector, so that the talents of the youths would not be wasted.
“Revamping the education sector should be the priority of the Federal, State and local governments because it is in the concurrent list in the Nigeria Constitution.
“Education is at the centre of everything: industrialisation, human development, democracy and so many other things will only begin to fall in place after education is adequately catered for”.
He stressed that whenever government released money for the education sector, there should always be some checks and balances.
“It is to make sure that the money does not enter individual pockets”.
He noted that reality shows will get more people educated in the country.
“Any style or format is welcome to stem what is happening to our youths and keep them educated.”
The initiator of the show, the Managing Director, Steward Resources Ltd., Dr Bamidele Joseph, said the programme will innovate the thinking of pupils and students.
“It will bequeath a sound, moral education to different sectors of our national life.
“There are fewer programmes that inspire youths and we want to make them better persons and agents of change for the country,” he said.
Highflyers is an educational Television reality programme that will engage primary, secondary and university students in different competitive educational activities.
