By Olubunmi Omoogun
That University students in Nigeria have continued to spend most part of their time for studies outside the classrooms due to the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) support the calls for the budgetary provision on Education to be raised to 25%.
This proposal has been enunciated by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress for 2023 general election in Nigeria Bola Ahmad Tinubu
The solution to the lingering faceoff between ASUU and Federal Government lies in that increase in budgetary provision with concerted efforts by all to help mitigate the problems in the sector.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu while unveiling his agenda and road map to Nigeria’s greatness, listed education as number one item on his agenda, promising to increase the spending on education to 25 percent of nation’s budget.
There’s no gainsaying that every government in Nigeria needs to focus on education in order to address the many challenges students are facing in tertiary institutions across the country.
Over the last 3 years, some National Assembly representatives have gone beyond the call of duty to transform the education sector in their Districts into greatness and turning their constituents into respectable individuals among their peers from other regions.
Education plays a major role in shaping the future of the youths, thereby making them better citizens who would be useful to themselves and the society
With a cheque of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100.000) in his right hand and a new HP Laptop worth over N200,000 on his left hand beaming with smiles, Moses Paul Anuoluwa at a scholarship awards in Ilaro, Ogun State sponsored by a Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi could not hide his excitment.
Moses is a tertiary institution student and an indigene of Ogun West Senatorial District, who, like his colleagues is now idle at home due to the ASUU imposed strike. He is one of the beneficiaries of the Tolu Odebiyi Scholarship awards.
Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, for 3 years, has given out scholarship awards including laptops to over 600 indigent but academically brilliant students from his district.
The beneficiaries will enjoy these scholarship opportunities till they graduate from their various institutions of learning.
While expanding the frontiers of building the youths of Ogun West to become great tech entrepreneurs, the founder of the Scholarship Foundation, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi has also facilitated enormous job opportunities for the beneficiaries of his scholarship awards at Africa’s leading fintech company, Flutterwave and Africa’s leading card manufacturing and tech company, Secure ID among others.
Sen. Odebiyi’s records and performance in terms of wealth creation, provision of social amenities and elimination of poverty in his communities has shown that Nigeria can regain its lost glory if the right policies are put in place and adequate budgetary provisions are made to carter for all the sectors, most especially education and ICT sectors.
In the Nigerian Senate, he remains one of the most colourful Senators from the SouthWest whose kind gestures spread across his Senatorial District.
Also exploring angles that provide solutions to the education challenges in their districts are Senators like Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru (Lagos East); and Hon. Ade Adeogun (Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal constituency).
The vibrant Federal Lawmaker from Ekiti North Senatorial District, Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi in the area of human empowerment has distributed bursary allawance to over 500 students in Ekiti North Senatorial District, where each student got Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00).
One could argue that more needs to be done in lifting more indigent students up, given the high inflation rate and economic malaise in the country.
A former Banker and former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State, Sen. Tokunbo Abiru had in October 2021, given out bursary allowance to 600 brilliant but indigent students in his Lagos East senatorial district through an endowment instituted by his foundation to assist youths.
The need to plug gaps in the education system is one reason that the Honourable representing Akoko South-East/Akoko South-West Federal constituency, Hon. Ade Adeogun has facilitated three years tuition free scholarship for five hundred students at Upland College of Education, Ipesi Akoko, Ondo State to give hope to the indigent youths.
With great politicians like these, Nigeria will continue to build a mass of educated youths with morals, knowledge, expertise and mentality to move this country forward.