Victor EzejaChancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, has proposed six measures that can be adopted to upgrade the education system in Nigeria to international standard and reverse the growing ugly trend of Nigerians seeking education abroad which has led to the loss of billions of naira annually in foreign exchange.
Chidoka, a former minister of Aviation, who spoke at the Southeast Educators Conference at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu last week, stressed the need for the Nigerian government, educational institutions, and other stakeholders in the education sector, to take practical steps to address the situation.
According to him, education can be revitalised and exported to become a source of foreign exchange for Nigeria if appropriate measures are consciously adopted.
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In his keynote titled “Let Us Build and Export Education: A Vision for Southeast Nigeria,” Mr Chidoka pointed out that with over 71,753 Nigerians studying overseas, of which about 11,000 are in African schools and only one international student opting for Nigeria, Southeast Nigeria, with its high literacy rates and robust basic education performance, is ideally positioned to become a leading educational hub in Nigeria and Africa.
He said: “Southeast Nigeria could reverse the current trend of educational emigration and instead become a prime destination for global learners if the leaders adopt the measures he outlined amongst other Conference proposals.”
Chidoka’s Key Proposals
With the audience at the gathering comprised school administrators, government officials, education technology professionals, and private school owners, the Anambra-born former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), outlined six key practical policy initiatives aimed at enhancing the global competitiveness of Southeast schools and positioning them as leaders in exporting education.
According to him, they include:
- Enhanced Regulatory Oversight: Urging state governments to bolster education quality through robust inspections and adequate supervision.
- Tax Reform for Educational Institutions: Simplifying compliance by consolidating taxes into a single system for private schools, thus enhancing the ease of business and inviting more investment.
- Global Benchmarking: Adopting international standards and assessments like the Program for International Student Assessments (PISA) to elevate student performance and global standing.
- Infrastructure and Security Improvements: Security is a fundamental necessity to attracting global talents and students and making critical enhancements to ensure safe and conducive learning environments.
- Innovative Training and Scholarships: Attracting top talent and offering scholarships to support less privileged students in the cost-reflective public tertiary education.
- School Autonomy: Empowering schools with more decision-making authority to foster innovation and community responsiveness
While emphasising the need for continuous evaluation, monitoring, and improvement, he assured that these initiatives if applied, would unlock significant value in the education sector.
Concluding his address, Chidoka said: “We envision a Southeast Nigeria where education is a significant export, contributing profoundly to our GDP, rebuilding our diminishing national pride and foreign reserves, and ensuring a pathway to national competitiveness and societal progress.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
