The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Education

  • Sakil gets UPN presidential ticket, promises free healthcare, education

    The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) yesterday  elected a businessman, Alhaji Ahmed Sakil, as its presidential candidate for next year’s  elections.

    Sakil, an agro businessman who was elected during the party’s primaries in Abuja, said that he would restore the nation’s lost glory in the education and health sectors.

    The Gombe State-born candidate is into cattle, poultry and horse care.

    “Nigeria has the potential to be a developed nation and lead the way for other African countries to follow,” he said, moments after he was picked for the race.

    “This can only be achieved however, with a genuine leader that would prioritise the major sectors of the economy that will spur development.

    “I am the man that will do the job, I promise to transform all the sectors and declare free education and healthcare systems.”

    Sakil, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, urged Nigerians to collect their voter cards ahead of the 2019 elections to enable them to exercise their franchise.

    Prof. Bankole Okuwa, National Chairman, UPN, said that the party was not an ethnic one even though one of its pioneer members was from the west.

    Okuwa said that the candidate had better plans to transform the nation if elected, adding that Nigerians needed to embrace the party that would develop the nation.

    He said that the nation ought to be turned around and much more modernised than it is now.

    He said that the party’s ideas would be made into policies that would bring the required progress for Nigeria if chosen. “So as we go into 2019, I urge all citizens to make the right choice for a better nation,” he said.

     

  • Nigeria at 58: How nation has fared in Education — ASUU, Unilag VC, others

    Education stakeholders in the country have expressed mixed feelings on the development in the sector, 58 years after it gained independence.

    They spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

    The National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Michael Alogba-Olukoya, told NAN that the country, in the sector, had been`moving in a circle.’

    He said that government at all levels had not done enough to ensure that the sector took its rightful place in the scheme of things.

    According to him, lack of development of the sector is taking its toll on the country’s youth in terms of high unemployment rate.

    Alogba-Olukoya noted that for a turnaround in the system, there must be sincere commitments from the country’s leaders.

    He called for an overhaul of the country’s curriculum, to tally with the demands of the 21st century.

    The Union leader noted that what obtained in the sector in the 1960s was completely different from what was obtainable in the present age.

    “Our politicians have not shown the commitment to build this sector, and that is why it will be good if they could come together to redefine it for us to be able to achieve the much needed national transformation and development.

    “What we should all have at the back of our mind is that there is a huge difference between funding and investment in education.

    “It is not enough to build schools all over the place when the people to work there are not happy, as well as no matching infrastructure to drive such structures.

    “It will yield no results, as it is like a motion without movement.

    “I think it is time for us to come together for an education summit if truly want to take this country to its desired height.

    “If not, all what we profess to be doing in the sector is merely moving in a circle.

    “ We should also show some concern in what I call budget tracking.

    “This is important if we truly wish to re-position the sector, because it is not enough for anybody to wake up and declare billions of naira into the sector with no one paying attention on its implementation,’’ the unionist said.

    He urged the National Assembly to be more proactive in passing laws that are education-friendly, while ensuring that there is huge investment in the sector that would eventually drive all other sectors of the country’s economy.

    Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the 2nd Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), noted that education in the country had not enjoyed its pride of place, especially in the area of funding.

    Ogunbanjo told NAN that only one state in the country had set aside over 20 per cent of its budget for the development of education.

    He said the 10 per cent, or even less, that was being set aside for the same purpose by the other states across the country was worrisome.

    “As we all know, education is the only worthy legacy that any nation can bequeath to its future generation, just as it is the bedrock of any development.

    “But I am afraid that as far as its development in this country is concerned, we are not there yet.

    “So we must all come together as a people, do all what it takes to make sure education takes a centre stage in the scheme of affairs in this country, if indeed our quest for national development and transformation is to be realised.

    “The Federal and the state governments must also lead the way in doing the needful in this regard, just as they should also ensure that there is a boost in research grants, especially for our tertiary institutions.

    “Lack of these grants are equally taking their toll on not just the institutions, but its products and the country’s economy in general,” he said.

    Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (Unilag), is of the view that the sector is not completely a write-off as being portrayed by some sections of the society.

    He, however, agrees that there is need for an urgent education summit.

    According to him, the level of education in the country can still be seen as work in progress.

    He said that a lot of positive achievements were still being recorded despite its challenges.

    “I do not want to think that there is nothing good about our system, despite what we are going through.

    “Yes, we cannot say that it is Uhuru but it can only get better.

    “Today, if you look at the various academic activities going on in the system especially at the tertiary level, you will have cause to say there is hope, though slowly, but surely.

    “For instance, just recently, the Bank of America visited our university and disclosed to me that students of Unilag that were engaged for internship were competing favourably with their counterparts from Harvard, Stamford and Cambridge.

    “I see this as a boost to our morals at the same time a plus to not just the university alone but also the country at large and it goes to tell you that the standard of education in the country is work in progress and we shall get there.

    “This is because products from this system of ours could not have been able to achieve this feat if the sector was a complete write off.

    “But having said this, I think there is room for improvement in ensuring that the sector takes its rightful place,’’ Ogundipe said.

    He noted that the country was progressing as a people and that the citizenry should see it as such.

    According to him, there is no perfect system in the world, adding that even in the developed world, the standard of education could not be seen as being what it should be, given the constant change of trend.

    “Having said this though, I feel governments must be alive to their responsibilities especially in the area of research.

    “I tell people one thing; tell me of a country that is doing well in the world and I will tell you of a country that is funding research.

    “We must equally pay attention to our education too, especially at the foundation level if we indeed want to discover our potentials as a people,’’ he said.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), told NAN that the country’s ruling class has not fully appreciated the relationship between provision of education as a public good and the developmental aspirations of the country.

    According to him, many of the state governors are quick to profess that education is topmost in the list of their priorities without matching commitments to show for it.

    The ASUU boss warned that for as long as the country’s ruling class continues to play politics with education, the country’s aspiration to drive her development through education would remain a mirage. (NAN)

  • This education is not ours

    Sir: How come of all the fruits that could have been used to teach us the first letter of the English alphabet, apple was chosen; that which does not grow in our country, Nigeria? Why not A for African cherry? Okay, how did we accept that Mungo Park discovered River Niger? And we cheaply accepted that our great grand fathers were perhaps only busy drinking palm wine without noticing the river?

    Again, how did we come to dislike our ancestors such as Ogun, Sango and Amadioha? Many of us even think they may not make heaven, like it was their fault that they did not hear about the Christians’ Jesus and the Muslims’ Muhammed. Well, may I also tell you that there are homes in this country of ours called Nigeria where to speak the language that is ours is a taboo and will earn a child strokes of cane or, at least,some words of insult. You have got to speak English.

    In the academic circle, a theory is not only a set of empirically proven tools, concepts or instruments that are used to explain academic and social phenomena; it most preferably has to be propounded by “a white man”. An African PhD holder in Agriculture once admitted that she was never taught or read of any African indigenous method of cultivation until she came across one in Tanzania.

    With a little knowledge of Government or Social Studies, you must have been taught or read that separation of power was propounded by Baron de Montesquieu, a French judge. This is so written in the Government textbooks used in a country with a more effective separation of power. In Baron de Montesquieu’s separation of power, the head of state chooses and can remove the Chief Justice of the Federation and the legislature can, by a two-third vote, impeach a president. So, selfish legislators can easily impeach a disciplined president.

    In the separation of power practised in the pre-colonial Oyo Empire, a member of the legislature (Oyomesi) must be willing to die with the head of state (Alafin) to validate the genuineness of the impeachment. So which lawmaker will want to die for an unjust cause? Now, which of these two varieties guarantees checks and balances? So why would we not include in our own curriculum the African version of separation of power?

    Julius Nyerere, the former president of Tanzania, once said that, you cannot develop people; people will have to develop themselves. The development of Nigeria strongly lies in the acceptance, advancement and promotion of curricula which will be based on our traditional, authentic and indigenous knowledge. There was a “we” and we survived before the advent of colonialism and foreign evangelism. In that “we” only, lies our true development. Let us create education for ourselves by ourselves.

     

    • GaniuAbisoyeBamgbose(GAB) University of Ibadan.

  • Osun: Why solid education and competence matter

    The race to succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State is now getting to the wire with barely a week to the all-important election. The September 22 poll is important in more ways than one. Coming after the Ekiti July 14 election, the Osun poll is one of those elections that would herald the 2019 general election. As one of the forerunners of the 2019 election, it would serve as an indicator, giving us an idea of what to expect at the general election, particularly in terms of the preparedness and actual performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies and the likely voter turnout given the seeming voter apathy in the land. It was just the same way the 2014 elections in Ekiti and Osun, with its varied electoral tales in the two states, foretold then of what was to come in 2015, leaving a sour taste in the mouth. In that ensuing 2015 election, however, the then newly-cobbled rainbow coalition that is the All Progressives Congress eventually uprooted a sitting incumbent at the centre for the first time in Nigeria’s political history.

    Specifically for us in Osun, next Saturday’s election is significant for what it portends for the future of the state in the next four years. It will determine who takes over from Governor Aregbesola who in eight years laid a solid infrastructural and socio-economic foundation for the state to move to the next level, which is economic development and industrialisation level. It is a big electoral decision we have to make and a mistake may prove too costly as it may set the state back irretrievably.

    Created in 1991, Osun has indeed recorded giant strides under Aregbesola. With the good network of roads particularly in the capital Osogbo and the various educational infrastructure put in place across the entire state, the governor has done more than his predecessor in the state. According to official statistics, the Aregbesola government delivered over 1000 kilometres of urban roads across the states, particularly in the capital Osogbo that has been beautifully transformed, reconstructed up to 27 intercity roads, covering 381.89 km and upgraded 81 township roads, covering over 255.17 km.

    The administration improved the economic and financial management of the state, shoring up Internally Generated Revenue from N300 million to an average of N1.3 billion per month. Among other laudable things, the government also established multi-billion Osun Micro-Credit Agency for cooperative groups and societies in a bid to indirectly power small scale businesses.

    Critics of the administration may draw attention, as they often do, to the occasional delay in payment of salaries and pensions, but truth is given the parlous state of the finances of the state, it is a miracle that the governor could keep its salary and other financial obligations and yet able to embark on the laudable projects it has delivered thus far.

    Indeed, it is partly a measure of the enviable height Osun has attained under Aregbesola that it has witnessed the kind of intense interest the governorship race is generating. More than anything else, however, it is this matter of the governor’s fine performance, the credentials and competences or otherwise of those aspiring to take over from him and the challenges confronting the state that should dominate debate at present. However, sadly but not unexpectedly, the race has been low on issues and high on destructive campaigns. We must not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked or be distracted. What is at stake is too serious and too important. It’s about the future of our state. We must pay attention and interrogate the competences of those that have come forward for the exalted job for the sake of our people and generations yet unborn in the state.

    The race parades the contenders and pretenders, those who know they lack what it takes to lead us in Osun and yet continue to grandstand as potential governors of the state. On one extreme is one candidate, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola alias Ileri-Oluwa, in a class of his own, imbued with solid education, private sector experience spanning over 30 years and excellent record of performance as Chief of Staff in the outgoing administration. At the other end is another candidate, bereft of education and ideas, his main qualification and experience being credit in dancing. In between is a mixed grill of the good and the bad. The tolerable and intolerable and even the distasteful.

    It’s perhaps owing to their widely-known inadequacies that some in the race have elected to indulge in the reprehensible. They concoct lies, spread fake reports and launch disruptive campaigns. Rather than canvass ideas and articulate issues that will help uplift the people they want to govern, they trade in barbs and campaigns of calumny, indeed confirming the correctness of those immortal words of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, that only the deep can reach out to the deep. You cannot give what you don’t have. Knowing full well Oyetola is the man for the job and the one to beat, they move to delimit and de-market him. They claim he is in the race to engage in wanton wealth accumulation. But not a few know Oyetola has achieved financial success in his private life before coming into politics and has a reputation for honesty and integrity. Such a person is not one that can be said to be running for governor to accumulate wealth. He is not an opportunist who is out to get rich with Osun’s funds.

    The opposition also attempted to twist the APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s remarks at the palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, to give the impression he disparaged the traditional ruler and Osogbo people. This writer was at the courtesy visit. Asiwaju was received with pomp and ceremony by a traditional ruler who said the visit was an opportunity for him to show gratitude to the APC leader for his tremendous support when he had challenges over the throne. Asiwaju neither disparaged the traditional ruler nor demeaned the people of Osogbo.

    Given his background and record over the years, is Asiwaju the type of person or politician who will disparage anybody or group of people on account of whether they are rich or poor?

    Asiwaju has always stressed the fact that he was born into poverty and had to achieve success in life through much suffering, perseverance and industry. This is also true of many of our great leaders including heroes like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and MKO Abiola. Like these icons, Asiwaju’s goal in politics is to utilise all he has to help empower people and lift them out of poverty.  His message at the Ataoja’s palace was that this is also the mission of Oyetola in politics and not to accumulate wealth.

     

    • Rahman, former Editor Thisday on Saturday and Sunday Newspapers, hails from Iwo in Osun State.

  • There is ‘oil’ in education and health

    In the past forty years or more, Nigeria had been a mono-product country exporting crude oil. This is understandable.  Crude oil produces easy cash without much effort. Much efforts would have been required if we had decided to refine the oil and sell the finished product.  Government had not made any sustainable efforts to divert attention to other sectors of the economy which are cash cows elsewhere.

    Prior to what has become a seeming disadvantage of oil discovery for Nigeria, agriculture used to be a very viable sector but the sorry state of that sector is not encouraging many investors to look at this direction. Many want a quick turn around of investment which is not guaranteed in that sector. Yes our stories here are gradually changing for good but we still have a long way to go.

    But given the opportunity in the information, technology-driven economy we now live in, coupled with the Nigeria population advantage, it is very clear if we are willing to drill the oil in education and health, Nigeria can take better advantage of the Africa market. This used to be the case before in the 70s and early 80s, but Nigeria has lost her capacity to be the real giant of Africa.  What we have now is shadow and bravado which leads to nowhere.

    The nature of our lopsided educational sector, aside from the little improvement with the private sector player, has opened the door for  Nigerians seeking better education standard outside the country. Each year Nigerians huge some of monies on education outside their shore

    According to Prof Adeyi, a Nigerian based in Canada, at least an average of $1.5trillion naira was spent by Nigerians seeking foreign degrees in 2016 alone. Imagine what that means if we use N360 as exchange rate! This is only the sum total of Nigerian students that were captured. Imagine if that amount is invested in Nigeria. Prof Adeyi maintained United Kingdom, Canada and United States top the list of the countries where Nigerians sought better education.

    As if that is not enough, UNESCO’s institute of statistics affirmed that in the past four years there had been increase of about 44 percent of Nigerians students seeking degrees from higher institutions outside Nigeria. If our education standard has been good enough and is in the top quality as it used to be in early 70s, our educational sector can still draw countless numbers of African students to our shore.

    What if we examine the level of capital flight in medical tourism?  Ebun Bamgboye, clinical director at St. Nicholas Hospital, in 2017 claimed Nigerians spent average of $1billion annually. Nigerians patronise hospitals in UK, USA, India as well as Germany.

    If government can make deliberate efforts in investing in our health facilities and make them match up to international, Nigerian and African market are big enough. It is amusing to note as of today if Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital will do one heart surgery, an estimated three months planning is the minimum requirement.

    Meanwhile in Ghana here, I am aware of a hospital which performs up to two to three heart surgeries a day. In nine hours the hospital usually finishes one surgery. All these capital flights do not add any value to our economy as we can neither tax nor repurpose such huge fund into something significant.

    Other countries blessed with oil like the United Arab Emirate, Saudi Arabia, amongst others, have done a great job with the money received from oil. Can we say our level of immorality and corruption at the highest places are responsible for our woes? Has trouble not accompanied Nigeria’s oil treasure and revenue, as the good book affirmed?

    It is never too late. Education and health sector can be another sources of ‘oil’ fund, if we annex it.

    • Yinka Olaito is a communications and media specialist based in Lagos

  • Ex-Lagos State Commissioner for Education Idris dies at 78

    A former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Dr Olawale Idris, who passed on in early hours of yesterday, died of stroke,  the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    Aged 78, Idris battled stroke in the last 10 years before he gave up the ghost at his Lekki Phase One residence, his wife, Muyinat, told NAN.

    “I can’t believe that my husband is gone, we are still together in the early hours of today and I never knew he was going to leave me for eternity.

    “My husband is 78 years old and we have been planning big for his 80th birthday; I never knew he won’t wait till then.

    “I am speechless, I don’t know what to say again but I will surely miss him,” she said in an emotion-laden comment.

    NAN reports that Idris, who  was born on July 6, 1940, attended Lagos Primary School, 1947-54; Ahmaddiyya College, Agege, 1955-60; London School of Economics and political Science, 1962.

    The deceased also had a Doctorate Degree (1971), LL.B. (Hons), LL.M. and was at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, 1968- 72; Legal Officer, National Oil Corporation, 1972-76; Member: Nigerian Bar Association; Member, Nigerian Constitution Drafting Committee and the Electoral Law Committee.

    He was appointed Commission for Education by the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alkaji Lateef Jakande in 1979 and was charged with the implementation of the UPN administration’s priority programme — free and compulsory education at all levels in Lagos State

     

  • Lagos charges parents on children’s health, education

    Parents and guardians have been urged  to feed their children and wards with nutritious foods. That way, their cognitive abilities will be well developed and their academic liives improved, the Lagos State Ministry of Education Director of Administration and Human Resource, Mrs. Folashade Lediju,  has said.

    Mrs Lediju, who represented the Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule spoke at the ninth  Astymin children academic reward programme- Astymin Brilliance Reward held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

    She commended Fidson Healthcare Plc for its commitment to the academic development of children through the company’s Astymin brand yearly flagship programme, Astymin Brilliance Reward.

    Mrs Adebule said Astymin’s contribution to the development of education and academic performance of the child was commendable. She said  Fidson and its Astymin brand are investing in the future of the nation through the provision of educational materials to the leaders of tomorrow, the kids.

    Mrs Adebule noted Fidson’s consistency in supporting children’s educational development in the past nine years.

    “It is good to know that this beautiful programme has been on for the past nine years. We want to encourage Fidson to continue to soar higher and higher. May the Lord continue to empower and enable them. We must also commend their focus on primary education, which is indeed, the foundation for educational development. We all know that once the foundation is solid, definitely, success is assured,” she said.

    Mrs Adebule also noted that Astymin as a food supplement is very important for every growing child, adding: “Once the children are healthy, they will be able to channel their energy into developing themselves, their education will not be a problem because only a healthy and sound mind will be able to access education and develop with it.’’

    Also, the Director of Co-Curricular Department, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Hakeem Olushola Olalekan, expressed gratitude to Astymin for the reward programme.

    “We are very grateful to Astymin for this brilliant reward. This is an encouragement to the pupils, teachers as well as their parents who put in so much effort to ensure their kids work hard and perform excellently in their academics,”, he said.

    The Astymin Brilliance Reward started in 2010.

    This year’s edition was attended by the best graduating pupils from about 210 private and public schools across the south-west and Southeast, as well as parents, teachers and stakeholders in the educational system.

     

    The Astymin brand recognised and rewarded the kids with certificates of excellence and valuable prizes, which were presented by Mrs. Lediju, Mr Hakeem Olusola Olalekan, Mrs. Ismail Morenike and other dignitaries and officials at the event.

    This year’s ABR event was colourfully adorned in an atmosphere of fun, friendship, sharing, networking andexcitement. The kids, as well as their parents, had so much fun with lots of music, dance, with so much to eat and drink.

    This edition of ABR is an evidence of Fidson’s unrelenting commitment to supporting the kids in all their academic endeavours, through its Astymin brand. This is in line with the corporate brand promise of valuing lives. It is the company’s attempt to bring back the glory days of Nigerian’s education by throwing its weight behind the children’s drive for academic excellence.

     

  • Education district gets new TG

    A new Tutor General/Permanent Secretary has been appointed for the Lagos State Education District IV, Sabo Yaba. She is Mrs. Olufunmilayo Okeowo. She succeeds Mrs. Lola Are-Adegbite.

    Okeowo, until her recent appointment, was the Principal of New Era Girls Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos.

    Regarded amongst her colleagues and staff as a compassionate but disciplinarian leader, Okeowo brings to the office over 33 years’ experience in the profession.

    Speaking to The Nation, the newly appointed TG was full of appreciation to God who made it possible for her to reach the highest pinnacle her career.

    She used the occasion to thank Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for providing a convivial environment for learning in the state, and also for his encouragement of professionalism in the teaching profession.

    She, however, admitted there is still room for improvement in the sector considering that it is only when a person dies that he stops learning. To achieve this continuous improvement, Okeowo said: “I will sustain and improve on the promotion of efficiency and effectiveness towards higher productivity in all our secondary schools in Lagos state.”

  • Kwara to partner private sector on education

    •Govt spends N6.5b on water reticulation

    The Kwara State government will partner the private sector and corporate organisations to improve education.

    Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development Bilikisu Oniyangi spoke at a news conference to herald the maiden Inter-Secondary School Mathematics and English Competition organised by the Saliu Mustapha Foundation.

    She said the government is committed to improving the standard of education through adequate funding.

    The competition, themed “Investment in Education, the solution to all Problems” was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.

    Hajia Oniyangi said the ministry had designed policies and programmes aimed at rejuvenating education and accord it the place of pride.

    The commissioner, who said all hands must be on deck to address needs in education, urged stakeholders to support the government in its quest to reposition the sector.

    She said: “The government is committed to improving the standard of education through adequate funding and provision of necessary infrastructural facilities. The Ministry of Education has set out policies and programmes towards this direction.

    “In advanced countries, education is seen as a collective social responsibility, where private individuals and corporate organisations contribute to the development of education through endowment, building of facilities, scholarship or through this kind of inter-schools competition.

    “This initiative is laudable and worthy of emulation by individuals and corporate organisations, because to have a vibrant education sector, all hands must be on deck. The government is ready for a partnership that will advance education.”

    Representative of Saliu Mustapha Foundation Yakub Isowo said the competition would begin on July 21 with preliminaries among 20 secondary schools in Kwara South; 20 in Kwara North and another 20 in Kwara Central.

    “Ten schools would then be selected from each zone to participate in the grand finale. The first, second and third best schools would be awarded with their mathematics teachers at the grand finale on August 4 at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, Ilorin.”

    The government spent over N6.5 billion on water reticulation between 2009 and 2018 to end the perennial water scarcity in Ilorin and environs.

    Commissioner for Water Resources Abdulkadir Yusuf, who addressed reporters at the weekend, said N1.9 billion was also captured in the 2018 budget to be spent on tertiary water reticulation in some parts of the state.

    The commissioner urged residents to be prepared to pay a token to get regular potable water in their homes.

    He noted that the government of former Governor Bukola Saraki spent about N3.7 billion on water while the current government had spent over N2.4 billion on the scheme. About N858 million was spent through the government’s infrastructural funding programme.

    A consultant on the water project, Prof Sulaiman Adeyemi, said the water challenge had lingered for so long because of the need to provide adequate water production, renewal of water distribution network, increase storage capacity, restoration of old pipes, and provision of adequate water treatment plant.

    He said the project would be inaugurated in September.

  • Britain to support Osun in agriculture, education, others

    The British government has pledged to collaborate with and complement the efforts of the Osun State government in education, agriculture, politics, tourism and infrastructure.

    The British High Commissioner, Mr Paul Arkwright, spoke yesterday when he visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The envoy, who was accompanied by the Political Adviser at the Deputy British High Commission in Lagos, Mr Wale Adebajo, said the British government would support the state’s economy by strengthening its potential for the betterment of her citizenry.

    He said: “The present administration in the state has done so well and this has made the British government to deem it fit to render assistance to the state to strengthen its economy.

    “The British government is interested in boosting the economic opportunities of Osun; we want to work with the state to galvanise its economic potentials for the betterment of all.

    “Since Osun is rich in mining and mineral resources, our government is ready to do everything possible to revive the state’s potentials in this regard and ensure that the sector enjoys necessary attention from government.

    “We are also ready to assist the state in the areas of tourism, agriculture, mining and human capacity development. Our keen interest to support the state in agriculture is aimed at bringing back the lost glory of the sector and putting in the required values to every aspect of the sectors.

    “It is a pity that 90 per cent of cocoa production in the world comes from Africa, but is sad to know that just 10 per cent of the benefit is what Africa gets. So, we want this to change…”

    Aregbesola hailed the British government for extending the hands of economic support to the state.

    He said: “…We thank the British government for the prospect of economic development and the move to deepen the democratic process of our land.

    “As a government, we are so passionate about human development to the extent that nothing will be spared to make life better for them. One of our strong points as a people is agriculture, especially cocoa production, which makes us the second largest producer of the produce in the country.

    “There is also mining; there is a huge deposit of gold in commercial quantity in our state and we would love you to assist us in attracting investment in this very lucrative area.

    “Tourism is another significant area of interest for us. Osun is the historical centre of the Yoruba from all over the world. The state has the highest number of traditional towns with the longest history. We will also want you to assist us in our mid-region market under the O-hub project.”