Inoyo flaws Nigeria’s education system
Commends Governor Emmanuel for new roadmap
Outlines areas for Diaspora collaboration
As Akwa Ibom State Government makes efforts to chart a new roadmap for education in the State, the founder of Inoyo Toro Foundation, Barr. Udom Inoyo has described the Government’s renewed gusto in the education sector as timely, adding that there is no better time than now to revamp Nigeria’s education system.
Barr. Udom Inoyo stated this while delivering his keynote address during the recently concluded Talk Meeting of Nto Annang Foundation, Houston Chapter, USA.
Inoyo, who is the immediate past Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Subsidiary Companies in Nigeria, spoke on the need to urgently address the rot in Nigeria’s education system, stating that since the failures in the country’s education system adversely affect other systems in the country, the healing of the education sector would positively impact on other sectors of the country’s economy.
He bemoaned the deplorable state of education in Nigeria’s public schools and sued for a complete overhaul of the system.
“There is an urgent demand for a holistic, speedy revamp of Nigeria’s education sector. Reasons range from poor funding to inadequate facilities and lack of competent teachers, among others.
“The rot is so deep that today, there is an increasing loss of confidence especially in our public school system.
“Those who are seemingly financially comfortable; prefer to enroll their wards in private schools, even in countries we never would have thought of before now. Since these schools don’t come cheap, and are unaffordable to majority of the citizens, it is therefore not surprising that there is a nexus between the collapse of our educational system, the competition to embrace private schools in and outside the country, and corruption.”
He commended the resolve of Governor Udom Emmanuel to better the quality of education in Akwa Ibom State, noting that by convening the 2019 Education Summit in the state and following through with the summit report, the Government has reasonably demonstrated its interest in revolutionalizing the education sector in the state.
He particularly commended the setting up of an Education Think Tank group, headed by a renowned educationist of global reckoning in the person of Prof. Hilary Inyang.
“The state government has followed through with the summit report and set up an Education Think Tank led by one of you, Prof. Hilary Inyang. I understand they have marshaled out a roadmap for the state’s education sector which we are sure the Governor will gladly follow through”, he informed.
Speaking on “Diaspora and Education Improvement in Akwa Ibom State”, Inoyo commended Nto Annang Foundation, Houston Chapter for its contributions over the years towards the Akwa Ibom Project and outlined areas where the Foundation and other diaspora and home-based organizations can contribute towards bettering the quality of education served the Akwa Ibom child.
He particularly encouraged the Foundation to Support Teachers, Adopt Schools or Mentor Children, as their intervention initiatives towards improving the quality of education in the state.
Barr. Inoyo charged Nigerian diaspora groups never to hold back their contributions to the development of their home country, stressing that such efforts are not in vain.
He quoted data from Nigeria’s Central Bank and informed that Nigeria received $17.57 billion in direct diaspora remittances between January and November, 2019.
As a case study in public collaboration towards the attainment of quality education in Akwa Ibom State, Barr. Udom Inoyo spoke of Inoyo Toro Foundation and highlighted some of the numerous intervention initiatives of the Foundation, in the last thirteen years of its existence.
The contributions of Inoyo Toro Foundation includes teacher’s awards which has benefitted over 238 Akwa Ibom teachers in various subjects, principal’s award which is intended to encourage quality education administration, mentorship program where over 3,000 students have been impacted so far, quality education awareness through radio and other mass media channels and schools infrastructure support such as the establishment of ICT centres, laboratories, libraries in several public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.
Others include support towards the establishment of International Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Research at the University of Uyo, as well as scholarship to all 31 pioneer students of Royal Arts Academy in Akwa Ibom State, which informed the establishment of the first ever Film Monotechnic in the state by the Academy.
