An advocacy group, Think Tank on Nigeria, has called for the remodeling of public schools across the country.
Speaking on Tuesday, at the unveiling of volume one of the compendium of the communique on various pertinent issues by TTON, titled, ‘Conversations,’ Falobi explained that TTON started in May 2022 as a product of his strategic review of the Nigerian polity, its challenges, the opportunities created by the social media.
Falobi said, “The government should revamp the educational sector; adopt free education, bursary/scholarship schemes, remodel public schools, revision of curriculum and revamping of technical colleges. Sensitisation and inclusive awareness; as educational policies shift from formal to technical and vocational, youths should be sensitised on the need to embrace skills acquisition. “All students should be proficient in at least one vocational skill, while graduates will be encouraged to acquire one or more skills at a fraction of the cost.” Vocational institutes should be established at grassroots levels to cater for youths.”
The Think Tank on Nigeria is an online policy advocacy platform with over 300 members of various professions drawn from the different geo-political zones of Nigeria who discuss and analyse Nigerian policies and politics, with the aim of proffering solutions to developmental challenges the country might be facing.
Falobi also revealed that the Nigerian youth now engaged in gambling, adding that they lacked confidence in the nation.
“Our youths have now lost confidence and trust in the nation. So many indulge in drugs, fraud of all sorts, rituals, and all sorts of criminal activities to empower themselves. Another majority are now involved in gambling at an alarming level; probably endemic level will be the best word to describe the gambling activities by our youths.
“Yet we have the human and material resources to halt the decline and restore our nation to its rightful place in the comity of Nations. These were some of the thoughts that enveloped me in the week preceding the founding of TTON. I was not surprised that all the members had the same thoughts.”
He argued that a major challenge with the 25-year-old Fourth Republic was the elevation of politics over governance as well as endemic corruption.
Falobi said, “I believe there is no argument against that. Most of our elected functionaries are so busy with politics and the accumulation of illicit wealth that no serious thoughts are given to the generation of ideas that will drive good governance, ensure peaceful and equitable development, as well as assure our today and the future.
“Thus, we have had increasing poverty and insecurity, decaying infrastructure, declining productivity, worsening unemployment, a decadent education system, and a health system that we are not proud of. In recent times, the sad realities of food insufficiency, collapsed Naira, and horrendous human resources flight (JAPA syndrome) stare us in the face. Wherever we turn, we have tales of woes.”
He, thereby, called on the government and stakeholders in all sectors to take a look at the compendium(Conversations) and make use of the ideas TTON had generated including Youth Engagement in Nigeria, entertainment, Sports and Youth Engagement, Industrialisation, Means of funding the Nigerian economy, Nigeria informal sector: The journey so far and the way forward, The mining sector and national development, Future elections in Nigeria, Substance abuse and its impact on national development, Corruption and Mental health.
Falobi explained “On behalf of the over 300 members of TTON, I hereby present Conversations Volume 1 to you. It is meant to add to the body of knowledge within each of the ten sectors covered by this volume.”
An executive member of TTON, Onorakpene Eviosekwofa, added, “Do not abandon the Compendium on your shelf. Do not fail to give it maximum publicity. It is TTON’s contribution to the assurance of a better Nigeria. You can download soft copies from our website.”
