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Quality Education Requires Over N2.5t Annually – Babalakin Insists

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Eniola Olayemi

 

The Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has said Nigeria needs over N2.5 trillion annually to provide quality education at all levels.

Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), has said Nigeria needs over N2.5 trillion annually to provide quality education at all levels.

 

Babalakin spoke at the weekend at a Fund Raising Dinner organized by the Alumni of the College of Medicine, UNILAG.

 

He was the chairman of the occasion.

The lawyer and businessman explained that the government clearly does not have enough resources to adequately fund first class education and other sources of funding must be explored.

 

Babalakin said: “The College of Medicine, UNILAG, is a very good product to celebrate.

“But to keep the flag flying, to maintain the standards, we need substantial funding. Government alone cannot afford to fund education.

 

“To have quality education in Nigeria today at all levels, it requires N2.5 trillion per year.

“That is close to 50 per cent of total receipts of monies coming to this system, yet we cannot delay the funding of education.

“We cannot give low quality education because there is no money, so we must look at all sources.

“We must look at governmental sources, private sources and every other source to achieve the objective of funding a first class educational system.

 

“We have all it takes in terms of personnel and basic infrastructure.

“What we require is substantial funding.

 

“I look forward to a day when Nigerian universities will be sufficiently robust financially, a day when government funding will only be, at best, an addition.”

 

Babalakin reminded the guests of the good old days when the University College Hospital, Ibadan was one of the top five hospitals in the Commonwealth, which included England, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Canada.

 

He said it was possible to have that high quality of education and performance again, if we make it a priority.

 

His words: “We have done it before and we can do it again.

“Between 1972 and 1975, UCH was the 4th to 5th rated hospital in the Commonwealth.

“So I don’t want you to place your ambition at the local level.

“I don’t want you to aim for the roof.

“Let’s start aiming for the sky.

“We have done it before.

“Let us have a vision that will take us out of this situation we are in; a vision that will reposition our educational system.

 

“Let’s have what we had as UNILAG students in 1978.

“About 20 per cent of our law class did their A-levels abroad and came back to UNILAG to read law.

 

“That was how great the faculty was.

“Now you have so many people who think that unless they’ve gone abroad, they’ve not started education.

 

“We have to reverse this trend and we can only do so with the right resources.

“With the people I see here and the commitment I see here, I have no doubt whatsoever that we are on the right part and this is the beginning.”

 

Babalakin assured donors to the college that their funds would be judiciously spent and they would be invited to see the projects their funds were expended on.

 

“He appealed to the Lagos State Government to fix the road leading to the College of Medicine, which is in a deplorable state.

 

The pro-chancellor said he was impressed that the likes of Prof. Dapo Ashiru and Dr. Sunny Kuku, who left the College of Medicine a long time ago, were still actively involved in improving the college, adding that their enthusiasm was infectious.

 

The Provost of the College, Prof. F.E. Lesi, said the college had pioneered many great innovations but its major challenge was funding.

 

He explained that funding was needed for capital projects and maintenance of facilities.

Lesi also identified space constraints as one of the college’s challenges and urged the Lagos State Governor to look into it.

 

At the event were philanthropist and businessman Chief Adebutu Kessington and his wife; Chief Olu Okeowo and his wife; the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, and his wife; the Ajalorun of Ijebu-Ife, Oba Adesesan Oguntayo; Providus Bank Managing Director, Walter Akpani; and his wife/Managing Director, Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company, Winifred Akpani, among others.

 

 

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LASTMA RECOVERS 2 DEAD BODIES, AS TRUCK RAMMED INTO A MOTORCYCLE PLYING ONE-WAY IN LAGOS

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……motorcycle operator later died at the hospital.

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) today recovered 2 dead bodies trapped under an empty long ‘Man-Diesel’ truck by Barracks Bus-stop along Lagos- Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA Mr. Adebayo Taofiq confirmed that the 2 (two) recovered dead bodies were passengers on a motorcycle riding on direction prohibited by law ‘One-way’ on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While these two (2) motorcycle passengers died instantly, the rider later died at a hospital around Satellites Town.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a truck driver while on a top speed lost control as a result of a rear busted tyre and rammed into a motorcycle plying one-way by Barracks Bus-stop inward Iyana-Iba along Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While the truck driver ran away after the accident, Police men from ‘Onireke’ Police Division’ took away the recovered two (2) dead bodies.

Lastma Ogunremi Olanrewaju (Lastma Commander Area D) who led the recovery operations and his team immediately evacuated the truck and motorcycle off the road for an unhindered free vehicular movement around the Expressway.

The General Manager of LASTMA Mr. Bakare-Oki Olalekan while warning truck drivers to always stop over speeding however appealed to motorcycle operators to stop playing one-way including all restricted routes across the State.

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Metro

REA to Deploy NASENI Renewable Technologies To Light Up Rural Areas in Nigeria 

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.. To Partner NITDA On Local Content Development

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI Solar resources and other renewable energy technologies, to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment was the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja on Friday September 15, 2023, when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.  

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.” 

According to him, “The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to bring down the cost of solar power installation in rural areas, through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the Federal Government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Halilu visited the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on a similar mission. The two CEOs emphasized the need to look inward and develop local content (human and material) capacity to transform the economy.

Halilu sought to leverage on the long-standing relationship between himself and the NITDA boss, and also between the two organisations, to share experiences and best practices in management and in resource optimization.

Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA’s strategy of focusing on changing both the mind-sets and skill-sets of its staff are two critical factors that have helped the Agency achieve up to 62 percent of its goals and objectives within two (2) years, ahead of its four (4) year projection. He noted that the same approach would work for NASENI, as long as there was a well-thought-out strategic plan, and clarity of vision and goals.

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kidnapping: Again, So-Safe rescues victim, arrests suspect in Ogun

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps also known as So-Safe Corps has captured a kidnap suspect alive, rescuing the victim in Ogun.

This is contained in a statement issued from the Office of the State Commander of the Corps, Commander (Dr) Soji Ganzallo through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.

Ganzallo said that on 13th July, 2023, the Headquarters of the Corps charged the Ijebu Zonal Command under ACC Marcus Ayankoya to rescue a woman who was kidnapped at about 2200hrs on her way back from market.

Ganzallo noted that he instructed his men to swing into action and get the culprits alive and to ensure the victim gained freedom in earnest and they went after them immediately.

He explained that the State Headquarters of the Corps was briefed as the operation was on that the kidnappers collected the victim phone, gold jewelry, N100,000 in her possession and 1 Atm Card and they drove her away with her car.

The team could not catch up with them because of Logistics issue.

Ganzallo later disclosed that the team did not relent untill they were informed of a strange footprints on a farmland at Oke-Ako Community in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area .

The Commander then instructed the Isiwo/Itamapako Divisional Officer of the Corps, SC Aderibigbe M.O to mobilize and lead his Special Squad to deal with the suspected kidnappers decisively. The kidnappers were tracked down after rigorous search for them as they tried to move the victim to a new location.

Ganzallo reported that
there was a gun duel between the crime suspects and the Corps before the criminals bowed to the superior response of the Corps, while one of the kidnappers, who is 32 years old named Tunde Salami and a resident of Ibadan, Oyo State was captured alive and the kidnap victim was rescued unhurt.

Ganzallo also said that the rescued victim was traumatized but not harmed.

One locally-made pistol was also recovered from the suspect.

The apprehended kidnap suspect and the rescued victim had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters.

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