Quality education necessary for transformation – Ex-Minister

A former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, on Thursday said quality and relevant education were necessary for transformation of a country

Ezekwesili said this at the formal launch of EdFin Microfinance Bank in Lagos.

Our correspondent reports that EdFin Microfinance Bank is a specialised bank with a mission of providing finance for stakeholders in education sector.

“The bank’s focus areas for value added services include teacher quality, learning and teaching aids, infrastructure and tools, among others,” Ezekwesili said.

According to her, if a country wants to improve the economic and social mobility of its citizens, it must be done through quality education.

She said a major issue that the country is still lacking ‘’is the need to provide quality education’’.

Ezekwesili urged banks to direct their services to bridge the gap in “skills and knowledge’’ of schools, to enable the students transform the economy and compete with their counterparts globally.

“No matter the age category your school caters for, they will not compete with their fellows in Nigeria or Africa.

“It will be a global level competition

“So the banks’ finances to the stakeholders must stress on ‘quality’ among others, as essential parameter,” she said.

The Lagos State Governor-elect Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the launch, commended the banks on the decision to direct their empowerment to education sector.

He noted that finance, among other challenges, is a bane to the growth of education in the country.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Mr Sam Egube, the Board Chairman of CeLD Innovations Ltd., however, said the government should make the education sector budget a priority always.

He said the state would not relent in its effort to increase the number of public schools.

The incoming governor said that the budget for education sector in the state, henceforth, would increase.

The Chairman of EdFin Microfinance Bank, Mr Paul Dileo, said the bank was berthed out of the belief that country’s potential would become a reality if it has well-educated human capital.

“EdFin is committed to facilitating a more enabling environment for private schools to offer quality education that guarantees improved learning outcome.’’

The Managing Director of EdFin Microfinance Bank, Mrs Bunmi Lawson, said the bank had started a journey to support everyone that needed quality education in Nigeria through finance.

“The stakeholders we work with include school owners, pre-primary, primary, secondary, university, professional institutions and vocational colleges,” she said.