By Amos Tauna
Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Professor Ango Abdullahi has said that there are 12 million out of school children in Nigeria mostly from the northern part of the country.
Prof. Abdullahi who stated this at the 15th graduation and 20th anniversary of Zaria Academy, observed that the phenomenon is a threat to the socio-economic and security of the entire region.
He emphasized that sufficient educational background must be put in place to address the social vices currently facing northern Nigeria.
The educationists challenged wealthiest in the region to establish schools and provide scholarship to the less privileged children in their respective communities.
According to him, there is much to do in order to recover the lost glory of the education in the north as well as to address the issue of quality education of the younger generation.
In his presentation, the Guest Speaker, and Managing Director, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporations, NDIC, Umar Ibrahim said quality education impacts positively on the peaceful coexistence of any society.
According to him, the spate of violence and insecurity challenges being experienced in Nigeria can be attributed to poor or weak educational system.
Mal. Umar Ibrahim said, “If we are to enjoy peace, we must offer better living conditions.”
According to him, it is a common knowledge that Nigerian employment market must be engaged with not only paper qualification but also be full of ideas and skills, business minded and possess extra advantage of quality education credentials from well-known institutions.
Also speaking, the Chairman Governing Council Zaria Academy, Haroun Adamu said that Zaria Academy has become a trail blazer and can claim a pride of place of providing skilled manpower in the field of new technology as well as computer science and infusion of Asian work ethnics into Nigerian workplace.
He said, the Governing Council has provided Academic direction, while discipline remain a pillar for the sustenance of the serene academic, either by students or staff.
According to him, Zaria Academy and students have been selected to be honoured to showcase the Academy’s contribution to education and manpower development.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Principal of the school, Mr. U. G. Wuyahka said, Zaria Academy had introduced day system in order to extend the ample opportunity of top quality education to its host communities as well as to offer a new window for cross pollination of ideas among students from diverse economic and social background, create healthy competition and challenge among the students.
Mr. Wuyahku said under the Academy’s corporate social responsibility programme it has trained 250 artisans in the area of woodwork, plumbing, electrical installation, tailoring, welding and the establishment of an entrepreneurial centre in Zaria.
AFRICA PRIME NEWS reports that the occasion featured Commissioning of some facilities funded by NDIC and Aliko Dangote Foundation including e-library which contains five million books in stock.
Many prominent personalities were also honoured for their various contributions to the educational development in their respective communities and the country.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/04/26/news/19356/
