Lagos Intensifies Literacy Drive, Boosts Healthcare Workforce

• Free Mass Literacy Programs, Vocational Training Centers Bolstered
• Crackdown on Parents Failing to Enroll Children in Schools
• Support Assured for New Medical University to Combat Brain Drain

Eko Hot Blog reports that, in a concerted effort to combat illiteracy and skill deficits, the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is leaving no stone unturned. The administration’s multi-pronged approach, as outlined by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon. Tolani Sule, involves a robust investment in tertiary education, coupled with a reinforced network of free vocational training and mass literacy programs across the state.

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Sule emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring residents have access to quality education and skill acquisition opportunities. “Aside from the administration’s enormous investment in tertiary education, the government is also putting large resources into the Agency for Mass Education for residents to benefit from skills learning for free from the state government vocational and learning centers across the state,” he stated.

To bolster the quality of instruction, the state has augmented the ranks of facilitators and instructors at these centers while enhancing their remuneration, a move aimed at fostering dedication and excellence in teaching. Sule underscored that only qualified graduates and holders of the National Certificate of Education are recruited as facilitators and instructors, ensuring a high standard of pedagogy.

The impact of these initiatives is evident, with over 124,000 students enrolled and over 115,000 graduating from the Agency for Mass Education centers between 2020 and the present.

Sule sounded a stern warning to parents and guardians, reminding them that failure to enroll their children in schools constitutes an offense under the Child’s Rights Law in Lagos State, underscoring the government’s resolve to tackle illiteracy head-on.

Complementing these efforts is the state’s support for the establishment of the Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences (EKO UNIMED), a specialized institution geared towards addressing the state’s burgeoning healthcare needs and combating the brain drain of qualified medical personnel.

“The establishment of the university is much needed at the moment when the population of the state is growing astronomically and the brain-drain of qualified medical personnel to other countries,” Sule affirmed, assuring the university’s management of the Ministry’s unwavering support and cooperation.

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Professor Adedayo Ejiwunmi, the Vice-Chancellor of EKO UNIMED, reciprocated the sentiment, expressing the institution’s readiness to forge a partnership with the Ministry and the Lagos State government, positioning the university as a responsive force in addressing the state’s healthcare challenges.

With this multifaceted offensive against illiteracy and skill deficits, Lagos State is poised to nurture a well-educated and highly skilled workforce, fueling the state’s socio-economic growth and development.

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