Yemisi Izuora
Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to an education system that is functional and capable of dealing with the challenges besetting Nigeria currently.
Stating this on Thursday, while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services, on behalf of the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, noted that the various challenges can be given solutions through quality education.
According to Hamzat, the State education system was structured into two: one for Primary and secondary education and another for tertiary education, noting that such separation will facilitate better management of the educational system.
While also stating that the partnership between tiers of government and various arms of government as well as non-governmental agencies are critical to improving the quality of education, the Deputy Governor said the Sanwo-Olu’s administration is open to having positive engagements across institutions to ensure Lagos gets the best.
He commended the role of the House of Representatives in building a formidable and virile nation. According to him, the survival of democracy depends very much on what happens at the House of Representatives. He added, “If we get it right there, Nigeria will be great. If we can work together there, things will work fine for the country.”
Describing Lagos as a melting pot of tribes in Nigeria, he averred, “all tribes have representatives in Lagos thus imposing on the Administration a commitment to provide quality education,” he said.
Stating further, the Deputy Governor said the State has a tracking on all the students who have been registered within its education system.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Service, Hon. Aminu Suleiman disclosed that the committee was in the state as part of its oversight functions to engage institutions of higher learning both federal and state owned to confirm if interventions allocated to them were being used and utilized for purpose for which they were given and to ascertain the need for further interventions.
Bearing witness to the various laudable interventions by the state government in the education sector, the Chairman described the effort of the state government in the sector as unparalleled. He therefore urged the state government to take advantage of the numerous federal government’s education interventions through the Committee.
“With what we have seen in the State, our Committee is always ready to support the Lagos state government,” the Chairman said.