The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwukah, has said that the Federal Government will use education as a tool to achieve its change agenda.
Anwukah said that the Federal Government would take steps to ensure that education served as a catalyst for engendering socio-economic development of the country.
The minister stated this at the annual seminar of the Department of Education, Distance Learning Institute of the University of Lagos.
He also assured that the government would raise the standard of the distance learning system to improve education in the country.
The minister, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Professor Godswill Obioma, appreciated the organisers while stressing the importance of distance learning within the context of the country’s need to improve and sustain the quality of education at all levels.
He said, “In line with the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, government will continue to improve the standard and quality of education in the longer term.
Our vision is to provide flexible and accessible education for all Nigerians in an efficient manner, regardless of their ethnic group, gender, marital status or any other attribute.
We will use education as a veritable tool to catalyse socio-economic development.”
Anwukah added that government was willing to make improvements in the education sector and would adopt the Open Distance Education method to improve self-learning and distance education.
“The education system has been structured to develop the practice of self-learning through the adoption of ODE.
The government has decided to adopt policies, which are directed towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
There are now huge opportunities for our citizens to develop themselves and acquire degrees of higher learning because the government is increasing the number of tertiary institutions and granting accreditation for more programmes,” he added.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education would collaborate with professional groups and relevant stakeholders to address intractable challenges facing the nation’s education sector.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Adisa Bello, noted that distance education would serve as a tool for improving the educational system as a whole.
He said, “It is interesting to note that more institutions are receiving approvals to float ODL programme on dual mode, which will complement the effort of the Federal Government in the much-desired change in our educational sector.
“The adoption of ODL will also increase the position of the system in the world’s ranking.
As the national administration is pursuing a change in educational reforms to achieve education for all by the year 2030, it is imperative for us to put in place all that is needed to rank among the foremost ODL institutions in the world.”
Bello insisted that the institute was committed to dynamic knowledge generation, leadership innovation and a culture of excellence, while still playing its role in reducing the pressure mounted on the conventional learning environment.
“Across the world, teaching and learning has moved to the electronic platform and Nigeria cannot be relegated,” the VC added.
