From R-L Barr. Soji Awogbade, Chief Olufemi Kufo, Otunba Deji Osibogun,
Dr. Olufemi Adegoke (Chairman),Otunba Remi Abdul, Senator Akin Odunsi and
Dr.Femi Olugbile
Prominent Nigerians across business, politics and academic spectrum have called government to prioritise education, research and innovation for younger generation to turn the country from a consuming entity to a producing nation.
The call was made at the maiden Goke
Omisore Annual Lecture organised by a Yoruba Intelligentsia group, ‘Voice of
Reason’ (VOR), recently at Muson Centre, Lagos.
The stakeholders, who lamented the
low quality of education in Nigeria, said that until government placed premium
on education, research and innovation, Nigeria’s competitiveness in the 22st
century would remain a pipedream.
Prof. James Fabunmi, speaking in a lecture
titled: “Building a Knowledge Based Society,” stated that without promoting a
knowledge-based economy in a society, poverty, hunger, starvation and economic
degradation would continue to pervade Nigeria.
Executive Officer of American
Defence Corporation, said: “In a knowledge based society, wealth is created by
engaging human knowledge for value addition and delivery of services.
“Compare two economies – in one the
raw materials are exported with no added value, while needed manufactured goods
are imported.
“Thus it is buying high, selling
low, which leads to loss of wealth.
“Whereas if human knowledge were
used to add value to natural resources before being exported, we would be
selling high and buying low, leading to gain of wealth.
“As a matter of fact, there are
nation-states with little or no natural resources, yet they thrive because they
managed to develop an economy that relies exclusively on value addition based
application of human knowledge,” Fabunmi said.
The don said Nigeria, for no
justification, was selling her natural resources low and buying finished
products high.
He demanded for a total overhaul of
Nigeria’s education and political structure to end poverty in the country.
Also in his contribution, Afenifere
Chieftain and Elder Statesman, Pa Ayo Adebanjo said at 92, he was concerned
about the future of Nigeria because the country had leadership problems.
He charged the younger generation to
take their destiny into their hands and build a society that would make them
proud among their fellow young people in
the global economy.
The chairman of the occasion, Aare
Afe Babalola, said the country was building a den of underdevelopment if those
saddled with the responsibility of political leadership continue to pay lip
service to funding of quality education, research and development.
Represented by Vice-Chancellor of
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof.
Kunle Olowu, Babalola said the country was going nowhere developmentally if
education was not considered as a catalyst to development.
“As a university administrator, I
can say a lot on the education system of Nigeria.
“If we do not fund education and
promote research and innovation, we go nowhere.
“I appeal to the elites to consider
one fact: If American elites behave like Nigerian elites, would there be an
American university for them to take their children to?
“For the sake of our grand children,
let us build an economy and country that encourages innovations and research,”
he said.
The panellists, led by former
Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, unanimously
posited that Nigeria was not encouraging a knowledge that is research and
innovation-driven.
Ibidapo-Obe urged the federal
government and state governors to fund research and innovation so that Nigerian
graduates could compete with their colleagues globally.
Other panelists included former Vice-Chancellor,
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Prof. Kayode Makinde, United Nation trained
Developmental Economist, Mr Bolaji Ogunseye and Social Entrepreneur, Mrs Toyosi
Akerele-Ogunsiji
In her contribution,
Akerele-Ogunsiji, a social enterprenuers and human development expert, urged
Nigerian students to challenge the older generation to demand for a better
Nigeria.
She stressed that the elites were
only willing to leave the stage for their children currently being raised in
Harvard, Oxford, and Buckingham to take over.
She said Nigeria had been so
backward that while the leadership were fighting a supremacy battle over
Amotekun, other countries, including Ghana, were already fighting security
quagmires with drones, satellites and robotics.
“Our governors are fighting the
Presidency over Amotekun when countries of the world, including neighbouring Ghana, are already using drones,
robotics and other technology borne out of research to fight against security
quagmires.
“In Nigeria, a graduate of
Mechanical Engineering would call an illiterate auto-mechanic to fix his faulty
car.
“Most graduates of Electrical
Engineering in Nigeria cannot repair damaged bulbs. They need local
electricians to do it for them.
“Our computer science graduates in
Nigeria cannot type on Microsoft word. It is that bad.
“The political elites in Nigeria
love our backwardness because if Nigeria is developed, their wealth and
hegemony will reduce.
“We should invest on innovation and
research. Education is the only weapon we can use to amazingly wage war against
hunger, insecurity, unemployment.
“Facebook is a mere application but
today, it is one of the richest companies in the world. That is what research
and innovation can do for a nation,” she said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of VOR,
Mr Femi Adegoke, said the event was put together to extol the virtues of it’s
founder, Goke Omisore.
“Omisore used his lifetime to fight
for the restructuring of Nigeria but never got his desire.
“While we consistently push toward a
restructured Nigeria, we need to let the government and relevant stakeholders
understand that this is the era of ideas, innovations, creativity and digital
communications.
“Therefore, there is need to fund
research and innovations in this country if not, danger looms.
“We put this event together to free
up the creative energies of the people of Nigeria, especially the younger
generation, and domesticate responsibility and accountability.
“We want a Nigeria where people,
through innovations, can creatively compete with global economies against the
current trend of consuming without building,” Adegoke said.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ably represented
by Joe Igbokwe, his Special Adviser on Drainage and Water Resources and the
Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, was represented by the Secretary to
the State Government, Ifedayo Abegunde.
Other dignitaries at the lecture
included Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, Chairman of Elizade
Group, Chief Micheal Ade-Ojo, President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John
Nwodo, former governorship candidate of PDP in Lagos State, Mr Jimi Agbaje,
former Works Minister, Chief Segun Ogunlewe and the Patriarch of Omisore
Dynasty of Ile/Ife, Chief Ezekiel Omisore.
Others included VOR members are
Lanre Towry-Cowker, Otunba Deji Osibogun, Dr Ladi Awosika, Dr Ebun Sonaiya,
ex-Chairman of Nigerian-Danish Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chief Olufemi
Kufo, Dr Seyi Roberts, Dr Leke Oshuniyi and Otunba Remi Abdul, amongst others.
Also present were student Union
leaders from tertiary institutions in South-West geopolitical zone.
