Invest more in education, stakeholders task corporate bodies

The Managing Director of EduMark Consult, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, and concerned stakeholders have appealed to corporate organisations to invest more in the country’s education sector.
The stakeholders, who spoke at a briefing on the forthcoming Total School Support Seminar and Exhibition, scheduled to hold on June 7 and 8 in Lagos, admitted that government alone could not fund education.
They, therefore, stressed that it had become imperative for corporate bodies to show greater interest by investing huge resources in the sector.
According to Ogunde, ”It is a sad commentary about the place of corporate Nigeria in the education sector. We are at a point when we need to understand the gravity of the problems. It is no longer something government alone can solve. It is no longer what owners of our private institutions can address.
“We must make our corporate World realise that what we are talking about goes beyond donation of classrooms or toilets or computers. We are talking about our human capital. We are looking at students who are holding certificates and yet cannot write a letter. We are looking at a sector, where the early crucial years have been handed over to.”
On the forthcoming TOSSE, which clocked 10 years, Ogunde disclosed that she started with 30 exhibitors and 300 guests, which had now grown to about 5,000 stakeholders with plans to take the project to Ghana and even round the country.
Ogunde explained that from the inception of TOSSE, the project had tried to look at the various challenges facing the education sector and ensure the creation of a seminar to proffer solution to the problems.
‘’This is a celebration year for us. TOSSE is ten and we have chosen to continue to add value to a sector that holds the key to the development of this nation. The theme for this year is ‘Building Strategic Partnerships for Growth,” she said.
The Edumark boss disclosed that experienced speakers would be at the event to discuss with school owners and teachers on various issues.
She added that about 23 states and exhibitors from the United Kingdom, Togo, Kenya, South Africa and four Finland companies would participate in the 10th edition of TOSSE.
Also, the Programme Director of Concerned Parents and Educators, Mrs. Ifeoma Elenitoba-Johnson and Mr. Atul Kshetry of the International Data Management Services Limited, Lagos, expressed regrets that corporate bodies had not been participating in the funding of education.
“It is important for corporate bodies in Nigeria to get involved in education. They should not leave it to government alone,’’ Kshetry said.
On ICT, Kshetry said the emphasis had always been on tertiary institutions with the exclusion of primary and secondary schools, adding that IDM had changed that trend by providing training for teachers at the secondary level of the sector.
Elenitoba-Johnson, on her part, said CPE will hold seminar on drug abuse among youths and parents in collaboration with schools on how to tackle the menace.
She tasked the government on issues affecting children and investment in the education sector for the betterment of their future.