Education remains the most important tool for development and nation-building. It has been proven that the more educated a nation is, the better it develops. It has also been proven that the developing and developed nations of today are those that have invested in education, healthcare and pulling people out of poverty.
Nigeria’s increasing poverty remains a consequence of not investing adequately in critical areas of development, especially education.
Today, while observing the International Day of Rural Women, I visited Sheda and Sheda Galadima, in Kwali Area Council of FCT, where I was surprised to see a huge number of school-age children in the market environs on a school day.
In my conversation with the children, I was deeply shocked to learn that they had been at home for over two weeks due to the teachers’ strike.
So, while we are busy inaugurating campaign councils with pomp and pageantry and declaring economic miracles, our young children of school age are loitering in the streets because of a strike, in a nation with already over 18 million out-of-school children.
It is time to put our children and the future of our country back at the centre of governance and government decisions. Under our leadership, investment in health and education, as well as pulling people out of poverty, will be our priorities.
The relevant authorities should immediately ensure that our children in public schools return to school in the FCT.
A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO
