Sanwo-Olu seeks to prioritise educational funding for national development

No nation can attain any meaningful development without improving its human capacity.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has on Monday declared that funding of the educational sector must be prioritised and consistently improved, if the country desires to be a player in the 21st Century Economy, which is knowledge and technology-driven.

Speaking at the third edition of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Taxpayer’s Forum with the theme, “TeTFund Intervention: Catalyst for Transforming Tertiary Education in Nigeria”, held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, the Governor, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said no nation can attain any meaningful development without improving its human capacity.

In his words: “As we all know, no nation can talk about meaningful achievement without the development of its human capital. It is through the upgrade and sustenance of human resources that other factors needed to grow the economy can be given meaning”.

He noted that it is imperative for stakeholders in the country to collectively show commitment to developing implementable strategies and initiatives that will significantly enhance the level of funding on a sustainable basis for public tertiary institutions in the country.

While acknowledging the contribution of TETFund to the improvement in the quality of tertiary institutions, Sanwo-Olu averred that efforts should not just be limited to building the physical structures alone but also investment in research and development, citing the role of academia in the development of Thailand for transformation of the country.

According to him, there are several universities, whose endowment funds are more than what nations in Africa can muster, adding that “The challenge to TETFund is how to galvanise a ‘Silicon Valley’ for Nigeria. Or how can we partner to create Tech Hubs in the country”.

Tolu Afolayan