Nigeria Content Online

Olusegun Mimiko,
the Ondo State governor, yesterday lamented the huge amount of money
Nigerians spend on schooling in countries like United Kingdom and
United States and said it was enough to develop the nation’s
educational system.

Mr. Mimiko said
this at the opening ceremony of the capacity building workshop for
newly recruited staff of the state ministry of education quality
assurance agency at Ade Super Hotel in Ondo. He said it was a pity that
Nigerians are spending money to acquire knowledge in developed
countries of the world at the detriment of the nation’s education
system.

He said, “If you
have opportunity to be at the airport when Nigerian students are
travelling to UK for studies, you will marvel at the large number of
students planning to travel out for their education.”

Rather, Mr. Mimiko
challenged government at all levels to place special emphasis on the
development of infrastructural facilities in public institutions from
primary to tertiary level.

He noted that
kidnapping and other criminal acts will continue unabated if government
failed to place special emphasis on manpower development, saying the
nation will continue to lag behind among nations, if workers are not
given adequate training.

According to him,
apart from Sub-Shara Africa, which is still lagging behind in terms of
technological advancement and infrastructural development, other
continents have continued to move forward.

More funds needed in government schools

He advised that
more fund should be allocated for the development of infrastructure in
various government owned institutions, so that they can be at par with
their private counterparts.

He stressed further
that the physical infrastructure in public schools in the state is
receiving the desired attention, with the construction of a mega school
in Akure, the state capital.

Mimiko added that
the mega school, which will be equipped with modern equipment, will be
constructed in areas like Owo, Ikare, Ondo and Okitipupa.

“Determined to
situate Ondo State in its rightful place in the twenty first century,
we are building new 21st century compliant schools,” he added.

He added that in
order to sustain the state government education policy, his
administration has decided to strengthen the inspectorate division to
restore the lost glory of education.

“To sustain our projected outcome from this massive investment in
education, we noted that the inspectorate division must be strengthened
and restored to its original role of emplacing standard in our schools.
That is why we set up the quality assurance agency which, in the real
sense, will perform an enhanced role of the old inspectorate division
of the ministry of education in a more efficient and result oriented
manner,” he said.