Ighodalo decries poor education sector

Motivational preacher and senior Pastor ofv TrinityHouse Lagos, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo has decried poor and endemic state of Nigeria’s education sector which needs the federal and state governments’ attention and action. According to the popular Lagos preacher, Nigerian’s literacy rate is estimated at 61 percent with about 11 million out-of-school children. Pastor Ighodalo spoke as guest resource person at an annual public lecture, organized by the Bishop Onaolapo Memorial Foundation, held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos. The lecture held with Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of the Foundation of Life Church, Lagos as chairman. Ighodalo spoke on “The Role of the Church in Enhancing Good Governance in Nigeria; and noted that between year 2010 and 2015, 70-80 percent of students failed the SSCE. Universities could only accommodate 148,000 of the 1.5 million that attempt entry annually. There are academic staff shortages in all areas, particularly in the critical area of science and technology. He prescribed quality leaders as panacea for good governance in the country. He emphasized “For the country to make any meaningful progress, there is a need for Nigerians to elect quality leaders. Such leaders at all levels of governance must be humane, incorruptible, resolute, hardworking, transparent, and accessible, among other qualities, he explained. The Church must also ensure good governance by giving reasonable advice to our leaders, tell them the truth and not what they want to hear.” He said good governance is salient for making decisions which are effective, inclusive and transparent. He stated further that commitment to best practices of governance and the effective deployment of available resources targeted at resolving the current challenges, are the only options for the country to move forward.