Readers Platform Charges students to get education despite odds 

During her foremost Literary Workshop held in Surulere with the theme, ‘Perspective’ they advised the students to become innovative to enhance opportunities in life. They should take advantage of the internet to improve themselves and produce things that would benefit society.

Speaking at the workshop, the keynote speaker, Mr. Peter Ovbeibor expressed that when faced with varying educational challenges, a student with perspective will seek ways to overcome such odds. He regretted that many Nigerians have also lost perspective giving yield to mediocrity. The situation he fears portend that Nigeria is far from being a developed nation.

Describing perspective as the governor of life, he said it is the ability of an individual to use his imaginative mind to see and understand what lies ahead, and to prepare to take advantage of it. He continued that if a person’s perspective is not full and broad, accident is inevitable. And that the reason the country is where it is, is because most Nigerians are not open-minded to think wide and implement ideas for the good of society

Ovbeibor equally pointed out that the Nigerian government has poor perspective towards education. He argued that there is no need for students to be denied admission if there were more schools to cater for the educational needs of the growing population, adding that Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has become an avenue of making money at the detriment of young people seeking admission yearly.

“The people in charge of our educational system should have a broad view of what education is about. If we have enough universities today, Nigerians will not be writing JAMB three to four times. For the lack of the full picture of what they want to deliver, they give us piece-meal. If University of Lagos (Unilag) has Badagry Campus, Epe Campus or Agege Campus for courses that does not require much, Nigerians would be riding bicycles to school from their homes. Someone doing a course like business administration from any of these areas should be able to school at his nearest campus instead of coming to Akoka. If half a million Nigerians write JAMB seeking admission from Unilag, the school admits only 20,000, what will happen to the rest? They will have to write another JAMB next year, meaning more money for JAMB and frustration of the student. Meanwhile, as they are waiting, more students are joining the train of admission seekers.

 “All the people that invented things you enjoy today was built first on imagination. The head can create anything imaginable. There are people who look at something and think of ways to make it better. You are the only one that can limit yourself. As you keep thinking, you come into illumination and enlightenment to establish an idea that will benefit many.

“Unfortunately, the educational system is not helping matter. There are very few graduates who can write a feasibility report and most students with 2.1 do not have content. Going to school has become a routine in Africa particularly in Nigeria. Many students do not know why they are in school. There are many people who are going to National Assembly to occupy a position but do not know the reason why they are there.

“There is error in leadership but Nigerians particularly students should not allow such errors of planning by government to hinder them. Education is about enlightenment and today there are books and there is the internet. To be enlightened requires to research things out by yourself. Today, we have books and internet, explore it,” he said.

Ojedele Oluwaseun, the convener of the group added that the activities of Readers Platform is geared towards the illumination of the mind. According to him, illumination of the mind charts a course for transformation and nation-building.