Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the fate of over 14 million out of school children in Nigeria.
He said lack of formal education and stagnated development are some of the biggest problems confronting the country.
Obasanjo was quoted to have stated this while speaking during the second convocation ceremony of Chrisland University, Abeokuta
In a statement at the weekend by Cletus Ilobanafor, media consultant to the university, Obasanjo was said to have disclosed that about 14 million children, who ought to be in school, are out on the streets.
“This should be a source of worry to whoever wants the best for the country and Africa as a whole. The number of children that should be in school, and are not in school in Nigeria, is more than the population of many African countries,” he said.
Obasanjo urged the graduating students to remain focused in spite of the difficulties in Nigeria, adding that there are still opportunities they could make good use of to be great in life.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Abayomi Arigbabu, praised the institution for its commitment to quality university education that is needed to produce manpower to address some of the country’s challenges.
Also, the governor’s wife, Bamidele, lauded the university’s management for working round the clock to ensure the convocation held despite the challenges in the year.
The Vice Chancellor, Chinedum Babalola, who congratulated the 28 graduating students, awarded with bachelor degrees and professional certificates in entrepreneurship, said their training had also equipped them with skills for self-employment.
Babalola said among the 28 graduates, five, who are all females, made First Class, while Folashade Mary, with 4.80 CGPA from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, emerged as the overall best graduating student.
The vice chancellor further said the university had instilled in the students entrepreneurial skills that would turn them into job creators and not job seekers.
Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union and guest speaker, Sarah Agbor, called on African leaders to have strong political will to ensure sustainable growth and impact the people for good.