By Dayo Adesulu

In order to address the falling  standard of Education in Nigeria, the federal government has been urged to set up a presidential task force charged with the responsibility of resuscitating the sector and rescuing it from total collapse.

An educationist, Mrs. Arete-Zoe Amana stated this in Abuja, while addressing journalists, as she recommended that members of the task force team cut across different sectors with emphasis on the private sector.

Amana acknowledged the bureaucracies involved in government businesses, as she suggested that the establishment of a stronger task force team and harmonious synergy amongst critical stakeholders would no doubt eradicate bottlenecks and  thus facilitate issues of education development.

“I commend the efforts and visionary leadership of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu towards a better education system. However more budgetary allocation and private sector involvement in funding education is required for effective service delivery.

“Nigerians should stop complaining about the declining state of education and seek to galvanize support for government and the private sector to achieve the desired change as contained in the federal government’s three-year education policy document.”

Amana who said gone are the days that government is left with the responsibility of solely funding  education added; “We recognise the contributions of Tertiary Education Fund (TETfund) and other interventions in terms of infrastructural provisions, but more support is required particularly from the private sector. I am optimistic that the forthcoming Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and EDUINVEST conference, with focus on education will serve as a veritable platform for international organisations and private sectors to dissect the great opportunities abound in Nigeria’s education sector.”

Amana disclosed that the conference scheduled for Calabar will, among other things, provide opportunities for relevant government agencies and private investors to exchange views, ideas and expertise. It will also provide an opportunity to finalize plans on the establishment of EDUPOLIS, an innovation that would further boost the education sector.