Stakeholders Calls for Youth Empowerment, Laments Educational Decay in Africa
Inspite of her unlimited endowments, infrastructural set back in African nations has been attributed to lack of sustainable educational development and capacity building of the youth.
Stakeholders at the occasion of the Award Recognition and Investitures of the 2022 Chartered Institute of Education Practitioners UK (CIEPUK) Partners, Fellows and Talent Hunt Winners held in Abuja, reiterated that the continent is plagued by numerous socio – economic and developmental challenges in diverse sectors because of lack of the capacity to develop her youth.
The President, CIEPUK Ambassador (Professor) Marcel Okechukwu Ezenwoye told the gathering that deliberate efforts must be made to identify talented young people and advance their cause for a great future.
“We must be committed to building the capacity of the Nigerian youth to live a meaningful and productive life, the life that ensures national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
“The youth we fail to build today will take his or her vengeance tomorrow”, submits Ambassador Ezenwoye.
The ace academic who is also the Director, African Region for Institute of International Based Leaders stated that Africa is plagued by numerous socio – economic and developmental challenges in diverse sectors which has limited her emancipation and economic ascendancy within the commity of nations.
He regretted that Africa is still playing catch-up inspite of numerous natural and human endowments, but maintained that the continent must embrace educational development of her teaming young population to match up with her counterparts.
Ambassador Ezenwoye said CIEPUK has come to bridge the educational gap by providing fifty to 60 percent of some less privileged persons educational needs in the society.
“It will be instructive to remind all of us of the inroad that CIEPUK is making in the provision of affordable education to the children of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged population in Africa”, states the CIEPUK boss.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Dr Dennis Ude Ekumankama (MFR) lamented the institutional decay and deplorable state emasculating the educational sector in Nigeria, but noted that CIEPUK has come to stamp it’s emancipation impact in Nigeria and African continent.
“The sector is beldeviled by many woes that have made it herculean for her young people to realise their aspirations”.
Dr Ekumankama said government policies and Nigerian constitution has seemingly contributed to the backwardness of education. “A situation where the constitution in one chapter has made it a fundamental objective for state governments to provide education for the youths, but in another chapter says even if they don’t provide, should not be prosecuted, is a source of concern”, reiterates Dr Ekumankama.
The keynote speaker, Mr Francis Daniel Okumagba said the missing link between poverty and success is to change the present educational system that lays emphasis on academic qualifications rather than talent hunt and development.
One of the awardees, Mr Peter Obi, represented by a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra State, Mr Ndubuisi Menakaya speaking with the media said education is the bedrock of progress and development to any society, calling on the youths to embrace modern and entrepreneurship knowledge with the seriousness it deserves.
Prominent among those conferred with awards of honour includes governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State (represented), Mr Peter Obi, Labour party Presidential candidate, DG Raw Materials Research and Development Council Professor Hussaini Doko Ibrahim and others.
