Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at a convocation lecture titled ‘Diversity, Education and Autonomy: Developing Nigeria in the Years Ahead’ at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, encouraged parents to send their children to school for the development of the country. The former vice president emphasised that education is significant to the development and security of any country. He, therefore advocated the need to inspire parents to ensure their children get educated even at the elementary level for a peaceful society. Atiku noted that ignoring education has long term consequences which he said Nigeria is already counting the costs.
According to Atiku: “We persuade parents to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases because vaccination is a good thing; why don’t we do the same for education?
“Parents should be persuaded, even forced, to send their children to school so they, at least, acquire basic education. That basic education should be free and compulsory.
“Why does it seem like the importance of education for a society such as ours is so difficult for some to understand? Why do we seem reluctant to the idea of providing good quality basic education for all our people?
“Why can’t we see that the neglect of education for our people has huge long-term consequences which have become obvious already as our country is engulfed in security challenges across its length and breadth?”
Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, stated that severe consequences for parents who refuse to send their children to acquire free primary and secondary education will prevent a situation where Nigeria has millions of out-of-school children.
He maintained that beyond basic education, there is need for a variety of options for post-secondary education – university, polytechnic, colleges of education, vocational training – for those who would rather acquire vocational and technical skills for particular trades.
Atiku articulated that while people prioritising education, should make full use of the nation’s diversity for the development of Nigeria.
He also pointed out the need to allow Nigeria’s plural society flourish, including proper working of federalism in the country for the development of the country.
The Waziri Adamawa, accordingly, declared: “In addition to ethnic, religious, and regional diversity, we also have diverse endowments – agriculture, crude oil, solid minerals, tropical rain forests, Savannah grasslands; lakes, rivers, and streams that dot and snake around the country.
“As different parts of the country are at different levels of development, local priorities would differ. Earning capacities differ. Therefore, we need to tailor our development policies and practices to acknowledge this diversity and benefit from it.”