ABDULRAZAQ: DEVELOPING NIGERIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM IS EXPENSIVE

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State expressed yesterday that the endeavor of enhancing the educational framework in Nigeria is costly and should be a shared responsibility among stakeholders.

AbdulRazaq appealed to affluent individuals and organizations to contribute to the financing of public schools, particularly in areas related to infrastructure, or to support students who demonstrate exceptional talent and dedication to academic excellence.

The governor made these remarks in Ilorin during the award ceremony for scholarships granted to 12 exceptional students from public schools, whose secondary education will be entirely funded by the Kwara State Education Trust Fund (Kwara-ETF).

The fortunate 12 recipients of the scholarships were selected based on outstanding performance in multiple evaluation stages conducted by Kwara-ETF.

The scholarships will encompass all expenses associated with their secondary education.

AbdulRazaq stated, “We encourage members of the community to also contribute and adopt students.

“Please do not solely rely on the government and the PTAs (Parents Teachers Associations) for this responsibility. Educating our children is a shared obligation.

“Education is a concern for all of us. It pertains to our communal well-being. However, we have observed over the years that governments cannot wholly finance education. We must seek alternative means of engagement.

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“We have, therefore, utilized the education trust fund to address existing deficiencies. What you witnessed today is a framework where selected students participated in a thorough and transparent process to receive scholarships. ”

While commending the selection process, AbdulRazaq congratulated the recipients, asserting, “I am genuinely thrilled that these students come from modest backgrounds. They did not take shortcuts to achieve this recognition.

“The recipients were chosen through a transparent process. This is merely the beginning. We will continue to monitor their progress all the way to university.

“Our government will also contribute additional funds to this trust fund. ”

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of Kwara-ETF, Oluwadamilola Amolegbe, revealed that the 12 students were selected from an initial pool of 640 pupils based on merit.

Amolegbe stated, “We initiated the selection process by administering exams to all Primary Six students who participated in the digital literacy program of KwaraLEARN.

“From this pool, we identified 640 top performers, from which we initially selected 180 pupils.

“After supporting them in the NCEE exams (National Common Entrance Examination), we selected 20 percent of that group (36 pupils) who excelled.

“Subsequently, we identified the highest achievers among them, representing various local government areas, who also gained admission into unity schools. ”

The Programme Manager of Kwara-ETF, Mrs. Zainab Abdulsalam, affirmed their commitment to the vision of the initiative to cultivate the future of the state via sustainable investments in quality education.

“These are our students, who we believe epitomize the average Kwaran. They are presented with the opportunity for remarkable experiences that will lead to boundless prospects for them,” Abdulsalam noted.
She remarked, “We plan to track them, assess their performance, and ensure that by day’s end, all the investments that Kwara has made in education through KwaraLEARN, Kwara ETF, and the Ministry of Education yield tangible results that we can observe, not solely in figures, but through the accomplishments of the students. ”

Maxwell Kolawole, one of the guardians of the fortunate students from the Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, expressed that the selection meant the government had alleviated his financial burden of paying school fees and other expenses, commending AbdulRazaq for his gesture.

Kolawole praised the selection process, which he characterized as transparent and commendable.

“This is genuinely a pro-people initiative, and we are thankful to the governor and his administration,” he stated.