Nigeria’s educational system not meeting 21st century needs – Expert
Ikare-Akoko – The President of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE), Mr Summy Francis, has said that the current educational system in the country does not meet the needs of the 21st century.
Consequently, he has stressed the urgent need for review of the nation’s educational system to reflect the current realities.
Francis said this on Saturday in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State during a Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) exhibition/inter-platoon competition.
The competition was held to draw curtains on activities for the 2019 Batch ‘C’ (Stream 1) orientation course for corps members deployed to the state.
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Francis, who had empowered no fewer than 500 innovative entrepreneurs annually with business funding and entrepreneurship development class,
noted that the curricular should be worked upon for better results.
He urged corps members to add value to their certificates by venturing into businesses in order to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.
“The driving force to succeed should be that the young ones harness their potentials to develop the economy.
“It is pertinent to see the young brains showcasing their ingenuity in every sphere of human endeavour.
“I have said it long time ago that Africans, not only Nigerians alone, should begin to look inward and adopt strategies that will make them economically independent,” he said.
Francis urged policy makers in the continent to study market trends and then proffer solutions to the identified problems, rather than banking on the obsolete laws and policies.
“It is not just about creating jobs, but we need to look inward to monitor market trends around us so as to provide solutions to the myriad of challenges bedevilling our economy.
“At Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs, we started a reality show five years ago and we have been able to showcase entrepreneurs and empower them.
“The programme also educates viewers at home, making them understand that if young entrepreneurs can do this, then they too can do it.
“So this is about getting the picture of the kind of businesses they want to engage in and their nitty-gritty, and, by so doing, will know the best way to get established,” he said.
The State Coordinator, Mrs Grace Akpabio, challenged the corps members to learn new ways of doing things so that they could have an edge in the competitive market.
Akpabio thanked Francis for his efforts at mentoring the younger generation. (NAN)
