Nigeria’s Education In Serious Crisis: ― Afe Babalola Cries out
Founder, Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola on Thursday 27th January 2022, at a public presentation of a book, titled: “Issues in fourth and fifth estates of the realm” held at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, has once again expressed displeasure over the poor state of education in Nigeria especially in public schools said something MUST be done fast to save the Education sector from further degeneration.
The book, which was written in honour of a retired mass communication lecturer of UNILAG, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye consisted of 928 pages and features up to 50 contributors from academia and media professionals.
Speaking further, Aare Babalola, who was the chairman on the occasion but was represented by Chief Gboyega Oyewole, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said it was disturbing that Nigeria as a country over the years and successive governments, has still NOT reached the reasonable benchmark in not only the education sector but across other sectors of the economy. He was particularly worried that the education sector is still characterised by low budgetary allocations by all levels of the government, some of the educational challenges which varies from decaying infrastructures of schools, poor remuneration and motivation of workers, policy inconsistency, industrial action, among other problems, has continued to slow down Nigeria’s progress entirely.
In his words” the government must have to be more serious about improving the education sector by committing adequate resources and providing enabling environment for both public and private schools to flourish and be able to produce manpower at all levels that would be globally competitive.”
Aare Babalola, however, commended Prof Akinfeleye for his strong contribution to education and mass communication studies, in particular and that his contributions to UNILAG and the mass communication department including the facilitation of both the university television and radio stations as well as the multimedia and cinematography Africa Centre of Excellence were well acknowledged.
Some of the other dignitaries at the event and who extolled the virtues of Prof Akinfeleye includes Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary of APC, Lagos State, Mr Seye Oladejo; the immediate vice-chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Rahman Bello; Director-General of Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa; the advertiser guru, Dr Yemi Sobanjo; Bisi Olatilo; Mr Ray Ekpu; former Adviser on Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Reuben Abati; and the Managing Director of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, among others.
