UN Group Urges FG, states to boost education in Nigeria

From Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu

The heads of the United Nations delegation to Nigeria, at the weekend, called on both the federal, states and local government areas to boost the educational sector in the country.

The delegation includes, the Accredited Ambassadors of the International Human Rights Commission, IHRC, Relief Fund in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, ECOSOC, etc.

The delegation made this known during the maiden edition of the NgEducators and International Human Rights Commission Model United Nations, NgIMUN, Conference 2024, held in Enugu state.

They stressed the need to overcome urban-rural education gap and also improve access to quality education for rural populations, through an increased investment in education and the full use of modern technologies, including the establishment of remote education systems and training.

They declared that “education and training should contribute to sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth by developing requisite skills, in line with labour market requirements and development needs of countries.”

Their position was contained in the “Enugu Declaration 2024” rendered by NgIMUN President and Director-General Global, International Human Rights Commission, Relief Fund Trust, Tivlumun Ahure, at the end of the conference, with the theme, “The development of Education in Developing Countries”.

It reads in part: “We emphasise the need to promote and improve the relevance of teaching and learning, including: aligning education policies, curricula, training, and teaching and learning approaches with the priorities identified in national development strategies.

“Ensuring that educational curricula, methodologies, and training yield high-levels of literacy, numeracy, and life skills.

“Enhancing teachers’ training and their continued professional development to improve their pedagogical capacity to conduct student-centres lessons as well as promote creative and critical thinking.

“Encouraging support for the development of the potential and talents of children and young people, the provision of and mainstreaming of skills development and training in technical, technological, and vocational schools, taking into account national and local needs and in cooperation with relevant economic actors,” the Enugu Declaration read.

Continuing, they affirmed the importance of investment in early childhood care and education, recognising its potential to boost learning outcomes in later years, as well as its particularly strong effects on reducing economic, social, gender, and learning disparities.

The Nations News Nigeriareports that the Heads of Delegations, Chairs of Committees, and participants at NgIMUN 2024, have lauded the Smart Schools initiative of governor, Peter Mbah’s Administration in Enugu State and the allocation of 33 percent of the state’s 2024 budget to education.

The Smart Green School comprises interactive digital whiteboard, internet system, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories, modern ICT centre, two science laboratories for primary and junior secondary classes, hybrid multimedia library, creative production studio, and 25 inclusive classrooms, among others.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Education, Enugu State, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, took them on a tour of Enugu Smart Green School, Owo, one of the 260 being constructed by the administration.

But, the leader of the Delegation, Ahure said, “From reading about it, I saw a marvelous concept, but coming to see it, I see a true educational revolution, first of its kind in Africa.

“It is actually my job to ensure that this kind of thing is replicated somewhere else and in all the places in Africa. I take the trumpet away from Enugu here and blow it elsewhere in Nigeria first, where we will start to talk to Abuja from our experiences here.

“Everyone should be proud of what is happening in Enugu State. There is a man here, who is doing more than UNESCO prescription for the use of budget in the education sector. Isn’t that out of this world?”, he stated.

On his part, the Country Director for Congo Brazzaville, Valentine Meri, said, “From what we have seen here, we noticed that Nigeria is actually a leader in the domain of education. We intend to reproduce or to copy what we have seen here in our various countries,” he said.

Also, the Head of Education at the Secretariat of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Leo Ebenezer, commended Enugu’s pace-setting role in education funding and quality.