By Yinka Ajayi

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State wants winners of the 2017 United Kingdom Alumni Awards to take advantage of government programmes in order to contribute to the development of Nigeria.

Speaking at an event hosted by Connie Price, Country Director, British Council in Lagos, Nigeria, Ambode, represented by his Senior Adviser on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, commended the British Council for the impact of its education on Nigerians who schooled in the United Kingdom.

Winner, Social Impact Award, Fatima Oyiza Ademo, Country Director, British Council, Connie Price and Winner, Professional Achievement Award, Paul Oluikpe at the British Council Alumni Awards 2017 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos

“It’s a laudable initiative, by the British Council to award Nigerians that have made impact in Nigeria and who studied in the UK. We are in a global world with a very mobile population. As a government, It’s our desire to reduce the amount of money spent on foreign education and by the time we are able to raise the standard of education in Nigeria, there would be less crave for western education in Africa”, the governor stated.

“Foreign education is good, because it expands your scope, but the need to invest in ‎quality education in Africa is critical for us. It is good seeing Nigerians travelling abroad to be educated and coming back with impacts, but I will implore all winners to key into government programmes in order to add their expertise for a better Nigeria.

“The time for all Nigerian UK Alumni to posses a mentality of giving back to their society, as a nation, is now. With your expertise, we also can work towards achieving laudable impact on a global level in 10years time, if we collectively see it as a clarion call”.