Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has stressed the need for establishment of
more universities in Nigeria, so as to tackle the problem of access to tertiary education in the country.
The governor who made the call during the official opening ceremony of the Aletheia University, Ago-Iwoye, also advocated an increase in the carrying capacity of existing institutions to accommodate teeming population of qualified secondary school leavers seeking admission
Opening of the institution according to Abiodun, represents a dream of a society where education is not just a privilege, but a right for everyone.
"Statistics show us that almost two million candidates apply for admission into our tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Out of this number, only about 800,000 are able to secure admission. This leaves a huge gap because of the limited carrying capacity of our various institutions.
"Therefore, there is an urgent need to tackle this problem of access through the approach of increasing increasing the carrying capacity of our institutions as well as establishing new ones.
"Definably, government alone can not handle this, hence, there is a need to establish more private institutions like this," he said.
Prince Abiodun, while noting that his administration having recognized the transformative power of education, introduced the Ogun State Education Revitalization Agenda (OGSERA), which he said has made the state the only state in the country with the Learners Identification Number (LIN).
The governor added that the LIN has enabled his administration to identify, and also follow the progress of students in the public primary and secondary schools in the state.
Abiodun also said that OGSERA would help transform education in the state, ultimately fostering a more skilled, knowledgeable and empowered generation ready to contribute to the state's social economic development.
"The Ogun State Education Revitalization Agenda (OGSERA), stands as a testament to our determination to provide quality education that is accessible to all.
"We have laid this foundation and today, Ogun State is the only state in the country that has what we call Learner Identification Number (LIN), meaning that every student in Ogun State has an LIN by which they are identified. This allows us to follow them from elementary, primary, secondary education, so we know the number of students in Ogun State. This is not applicable in any other state in the country," he said.
In his welcome address, the founder of the institution, Maj. Gen. Sansadeen Awosanya (rtd), said the school was established with a vision to be a world class institution in a unique learning environment, noting that graduands from the institution would receive both academic and entrepreneurial certificates.
Maj. Gen. Awosanya, who lamented that Nigeria's education has remain stagnate and still operating the system left behind by the colonial masters, added that Aletheia University is poised to produce graduates with innovative minds who are morally sound and equipped to become professionals and employers of labour in the future.
The Pro-Chancellor of the School and former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande, said the setting up of the university was to further pursue the founder's dedication to serve God and humanity.
He said that the curriculum would be based on producing graduates who are not job seekers but products that could compare with their peers anywhere around the world.
The Ebumawe of Ago- Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasaq Adenuga, appreciated the state government for reconstructing the Ilisan-Ago -Iwoye road which has impacted on the socio-economic development of towns in the axis.
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