By Abdulsalam Mahmud
Nigeria’s schooling system shouldn’t be faring effectively. It’s degenerating, so fastly. Our schooling sector is affected by many points, together with poor funding by the federal government, insufficient and ill-equipped educational employees at public colleges, the out-of-school youngsters disaster, along with out of date, dilapidated studying infrastructure, amongst others.
Earlier this yr, the United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that, “At the least 10.5 million youngsters are out of college in Nigeria – the very best charge on the planet. A full one-third of Nigerian youngsters should not in class, and one in 5 out-of-school youngsters on the planet is Nigerian.
“Hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youngsters have by no means set foot in a classroom – and it is a travesty. Maybe equally tragic is the excessive variety of youngsters who make it right into a classroom however by no means make the transition from main college to secondary college, thereby slicing off their possibilities for a safe future.
“It’s estimated that 35 p.c of Nigerian youngsters who attend main college don’t go on to attend secondary college. Half of all Nigerian youngsters didn’t attend secondary college in 2021.” Furthermore, in a report printed in 2023, UNICEF once more disclosed that over 75 p.c of kids aged seven to 14 in Nigeria couldn’t learn easy sentences or resolve primary arithmetic.
In April 2022, UNICEF additionally reported that 11,536 colleges had been shut in northern Nigeria from 2020 to 2022 attributable to violence, affecting 1.3 million youngsters. The federal and state governments haven’t succeeded in completely fixing the schooling system, necessitating the decision for personal sector assist.
Though a authorities company, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has displayed sensible dedication to boosting academic progress within the nation. The company might have established a number of main and secondary colleges nationwide, however Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has reaffirmed the NCS’ unwavering dedication to advancing schooling, by investing extra assets into the Service’s colleges.
Adeniyi, the Comptroller Basic of Customs, made this declaration whereas serving as Chairman of the Event throughout the official launch of the guide, “Enterprise Geek: Modern Incubator From Idea to Actuality,” authored by the spouse of a senior Customs officer, Asma’u Isah Maibasirah, on the NAF Convention Centre, Abuja.
In his handle, CGC Adeniyi emphasised that offering high quality schooling stays a prime precedence for the Nigeria Customs, because it performs a vital position within the nation’s improvement. He highlighted that their NCS is constructing and renovating main and secondary colleges in varied states to make sure that each little one, no matter background, has entry to high quality schooling.
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He additionally reiterated their company’s dedication to deploying assets to deal with academic challenges. The Comptroller Basic, who identified that the guide provides worthwhile insights into entrepreneurship and innovation, that are vital for addressing the nation’s unemployment challenges, additionally acknowledged, “There should be one thing on this guide that we should pay severe consideration to.”
He added, “It’s a very well timed intervention as a result of we’ve got a excessive unemployment charge, particularly among the many youth, and I imagine that is the time we should all seize this guide.” The Enterprise Geek guide, authored by Asma’u, goals to foster a tradition of creativity and enterprise acumen amongst Nigerians, notably the youth, by offering sensible steering on reworking modern ideas into viable enterprises.
The CGC counseled the writer’s initiative and famous that the guide aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda of empowering small-scale companies to revitalise the financial system. Adeniyi additional pledged the assist of the Nigeria Customs in collaborating with the writer to make sure the guide reaches a wider viewers, including, “We’re dedicated to supporting the writer in offering ample printed copies at any time when the necessity arises.”
In his evaluate of the guide, Prof. Muhammad Aliyu Paiko, Vice-Chancellor of Abdulkadir Kure College, Minna, Niger State, described the publication as insightful and a strong analysis materials for intellectuals and college students alike. He lauded the writer for her thorough analysis and compelling presentation of concepts related to educational {and professional} audiences.
Addressing the gathering, the writer of the guide, Asma’u Maibasirah, expressed her profound gratitude to Mrs. Kikelomo Adewale Adeniyi, who represented the First Woman of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her unwavering assist in direction of the success of the publication. She acknowledged the vital position the First Woman performed in offering encouragement and help that ensured the guide’s profitable launch.
Maibasirah additionally appreciated CGC Adeniyi and his staff for his or her immense assist, which she famous had a optimistic impression on your entire technique of publishing and launching the guide. In response to her, the Enterprise Geek guide contributes to the discourse on entrepreneurship and highlights efforts to advertise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a pathway to financial prosperity.
In a rustic grappling with systemic academic challenges, the Nigeria Customs’ unwavering dedication to schooling provides a silver lining. The NCS is taking part in a vital position in offering entry to high quality schooling for youngsters throughout the nation, by investing within the renovation and institution of extra Customs’ colleges.
The varsity improvement agenda of the NCS certainly addresses the urgent want for a greater studying surroundings and improved educational requirements. At a time when authorities efforts in direction of boosting the expansion of the schooling sector have confirmed inadequate, the involvement of businesses just like the NCS is vital, and laudable.
Their assist for academic improvement within the nation shouldn’t be solely reworking the lives of scholars, but in addition strengthening the muse for Nigeria’s future. And beneath CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Nigeria Customs needs to make sure that extra Nigerian youngsters have the chance to obtain an schooling that may open doorways to brighter prospects.
Mahmud, Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, could be reached by way of: [email protected].*