Olakunle Agboola
The CEO of Tech Innovation London, Dr. Bode Ogundele yesterday said Education is the bedrock of a society and any society who pay lip service to the development of Science and Technology is set to fail, and that is the case of Nigeria whom in recent years has undermined the development of her people to build the human capacity for the continent to thrive and flourish in all ramifications.
He made this disclosure yesterday while opening a day summit organized by Sunbird Communication Ibadan in conjunction with Tech Innovation London, Hybrid Tech London, and Global Tech London.
The event entitled,” Transforming Education Through Science And Technological Innovations”, was to create more awareness on the importance of Education through Science and Technology for the nation to prosper.
The CEO of Sunbird Communication, Mr. Olu Akerele said there is so much work to be done to ensure the Nigerian educational systems successfully support Economic transformation. He highlighted three crisis facing Nigerian educational a system which is: scarce human capital, low quality and unfortunate inclusion, and a lack of alignment with private sector needs.
According to Prof. Aduloju of Edinburg University, the world is at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, with the convergence of new technologies such as ICT, artificial intelligence, and robotics entirely transforming economies as well as
massively increasing the pace of change.
He said: ”Africa has the potential to leapfrog over the shortcomings prevalent in advanced economies, several countries on the continent are missing out on this opportunity by under-investing in Science, technology, research, and development.
Research and development spending is, and there is a lack of qualified researchers. Only five African universities are among the top 500
Universities globally. That translates into an inability of African economies to transform their raw materials into high-end finished products that can compete in a global market”.
”Better Education and training will not come for free, particularly given a large number of young people reaching school age. That is why l am excited about this initiative because it will contribute to better educational outcomes of Nigeria, with a strong focus on Science, and technology. This initiative will enable African economies to grow significantly and leapfrog into higher value-added production”.
In his remarks, the CEO of Hybrid Tech London, Dr. Mide Oni, noted that the development of Africa, most notably Nigeria, is a necessity.
His words: I am happy to be part of this initiative in improving Science and Technology in Nigeria. This is the time that most of us in Diaspora are so much interested in changing the face of Nigeria and Africa through Science and Technological innovations.
We will do all to revamp the educational system by introducing creative programs that are sustainable, and that will promote the psychological well-being of the school leavers, graduates, and innovators.
Earlier, Mrs. Pat Adetohun, CEO of Global Tech London said, she is happy to be part of the initiatives because all stakeholders on the project are friends in Uk.
Her Words: We saw a need to change the narratives of Nigeria educational system through Science and Technological Innovations and that is why we are all In Nigeria, ensuring this is possible. We will be partnering with several institutions across Nigeria and most especially the Federal Ministry of Education to carry out our activities.
Also, we will be organizing summit across each state in Nigeria, bringing in
experts from abroad to enlightening the students both in secondary schools and the Universities. We will be giving out scholarships through talent hunts for Students across Nigeria to study abroad and come back to give to their father-Land.
The event has several Secondary Schools Oyo State in attendance.
