By Lukman Omikunle
We are not just funding regular education. We are also funding people in the IT space because that is what happens in developed climes.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Mr Adetokunbo Wahab, has said the state is set to record more achievements with digital education adding that knowledge of Information Technology will improve education in the state to grow to global practices.
He disclosed that “the THEMES agenda of the State Governor is awesome and we will begin to see the impacts very soon”
Wahab who stated this in an interview with the PUNCH newspaper pointed out that the state will achieve a number of goals with constant investment in IT and digital education.
He said; “People talked about Rwanda, with a population of more than 20 million that they are using the IT platform, but they didn’t get there overnight.
“If we are consistent with IT investment, digital education and the likes we will achieve a number of goals. We are going to give seed money to innovators that are in the IT space.
“We are going to fund incubators with over N400m. We are not just funding regular education. We are also funding people in the IT space because that is what happens in developed climes. They can have ideas and not the money, we are putting money behind them strongly, the same way we are putting money behind education, and by the time we get this balance right, you will be shocked what will happen.
“You have a lot of people that will come out to nourish the system. When this happens, then the economy can move forward because the prosperity of Lagos is the country’s prosperity.”
Speaking on how the digital skill initiative of his office has been able to match up with the high unemployment rate in Nigeria, Mr Wahab explained that the scheme has been providing requisite skills and knowledge that would enable students to be employable in the private sector while the government will “keep ramping up the infrastructure in terms of human capital and giving them the platform to enjoy it.”
“Ordinarily, the government should not be the employer of labour. The government should just set the tone and enabling environment for the private sector to off take. So what we are doing is giving them the requisite skills and knowledge that would enable them to be employable in that market. Don’t also forget, thousands of people also come to Lagos to chase their dreams. Each day they come, they add to the numbers.
“For us, we will keep ramping up the infrastructure in terms of human capital and giving them the platform to enjoy it. The Job Initiative Lagos is targeted at students in higher institutions and we help them with soft skills that would make them employable there are also entrepreneurship programme which they do online at our digital libraries which also gives them an understanding of how to manage their business successfully, for those going into business,” he said.
Wahab also mentioned some of the programmes students can learn under the Eko Digital Skills programme during the lengthy chat with the newspaper.
He said, “We have two streams. We have the e-school for our pupils in public and private secondary schools. We also have the hybrid. The hybrid is if you are out of school and you need a skill set, you can register for that and get trained in our libraries across Lagos.
“Digital Skills Initiative is a program that provides opportunities for pupils in Lagos State to learn coding skills, basic computer skills, introduction to the World Wide Web and internet technology so as to develop their digital skill and prepare them for the 21st century global information technology challenges.”
He further revealed some of the projects his office is involved in saying, “Our focus is on education and where there is a shortage of infrastructure we can also see what we can do to help for the good of the people. The Governor wants Lagos to be a 21st Century economy and he is laying the Fiber optics across the state. Fiber Optics means that there would be internet infrastructure at schools, hospitals and other selected infrastructures.
“Now OSAE draws out the mandate in respect to library. We found out that over time, the reading culture have dropped drastically and if you don’t create an enabling environment, you have no moral justification to blame these children for not being able to read and have reading culture. So, we decided to have two options.
“The first option is we have 11 libraries now 12 but Is it enough? No. We have how many public secondary schools? Over 700, we went directly to the public schools, to revamp the library infrastructure, if they don’t have any, we gave them a new one.
“Let’s give them a regular library with the regular books, then put in a strong IT infrastructure meaning desktop to complement the books. Also make it very conducive for them, that’s why you find us putting air-conditioners and generators. How would the generators be fuelled? The Governor has increased the maintenance fee of each principal in every public school to N250,000 a month from the N25,000 that we met, this is what the Governor had done. Have we been able to cover all the schools? I will tell you no.
“In two and half years, we’ve covered 198 schools across the states, hopefully before the end of the year we are going to add about 42 or 45 to it to cross the 200 line. Now it is still a far cry from the total number of schools we have to do, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step and we are very clear in our mind. The second part of it is the Eko Digital.
“The Eko Digital is for students, to prepare them for the fourth revolution, it is the IT revolution and COVID-19 has shown us that’s it is here already that will give you the full sight you need for that revolution, that is the language of the future, the cloud and decoding language, python language, digital skill language and what we now say to ourselves is that we are targeting a millions.”
On his advice to students in the state, he said they should make use of the opportunities around them adding that education is light; it gives the opportunity to take a shot at life.
“It may not give you material gains overnight but It puts you on the pedestal to grow, achieve and accomplish your dreams. Things are changing globally but nobody will tell you that you don’t have to be educated even if you choose not to use your certificate but you have the knowledge, it is a knowledge-driven economy and it will not change.
“If you are educated and you take your chances, there is something you can bring to the table. They can call you and ask if you could be a Commissioner, Minister etc.
“Education will create room for you in great places. I have people in my cabinet who are in their 30’s these are young people they are there because they are educated. Education gives you that opportunity and it opens that door for you and gives you the platform.
“I would tell them that the state is doing so much investment in education, the state is giving 12.6 per cent of our budget in 2022 to education. They should take up the opportunity, maximise it for their good, the society’s,” he advised.
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