Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara
A non-governmental organisation operating under the banner of ‘One Youth Global’ has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intensify efforts in advocating for educational development across Nigeria.
Uchechukwu Agbo, the President of the organisation, made this call at the grand finale of the ‘Spark Nation’ debate and quiz competition, which was held on Saturday at the Osborne Hotel in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
The organisation called on the president and state governors to take decisive action to address the plight of over twenty million children out of school in Nigeria.
Agbo expressed concern over the deteriorating state of primary and secondary education in the country, urging both federal and state governments to commit to improvements in this sector.
He highlighted that participants in the debate and quiz competition were drawn from schools nationwide, including states such as Lagos, Adamawa, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers. “We are troubled by the declining conditions of federal and state-owned primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. Our initiative aims to support students by providing a platform for them to showcase their academic abilities and build confidence,” he stated.
Mr. Samson Amulu, the Boot Camp Director of the ‘Spark Nation’ debate and quiz competition, emphasised that the program is designed to foster critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership skills among secondary school students in Ebonyi and across Nigeria. He noted that the program had expanded to include schools from various states in the country.
“The situation of our school children is alarming. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), around 20 million children are out of school in Nigeria. We have conducted an enriching seven-day camp program, which began on June 15, covering all 13 local government areas in Ebonyi.
Today, June 21, we hold the grand finale in Abakaliki. The winners of the debate and quiz competition will each receive 1 million Naira and an opportunity to travel to California, USA,” the Camp Director explained.
One of the speakers at the event, Chinedu Ugbah, emphasised the importance of adequately compensating teachers and instructors in Nigerian schools.
He said, “We have noticed that many students have lost interest in education; some even refer to it as ‘a scam.’ This sentiment often arises from the challenges they witness, such as graduates struggling to find jobs. This highlights an indictment of the government’s policies, a poor economy, and various other factors. Additionally, teachers are underpaid, which negatively affects the quality of education. As a result, the standard of education in Nigeria continues to decline.”
Over 250 students selected from various secondary schools across the country participated in the quiz and debate competition. The debate champion was Akin Oluwa Olajolo from Wellspring College in Lagos, who scored 85 points, followed closely by Michelle Emeka-Nwuke from CSMT, Abakaliki, with 82 points, among others.
The winners received 1 million Naira each as scholarships to support their studies at any university of their choice in Nigeria.