By Adesina Wahab 

The future of Nigeria and indeed, Africa, lies in the export of sought after skills that their youths have abroad, the Director, Africa Brands Review, Joseph Ayodele, has said.

He, however, added that such skills can only be got through qualitative and sound education system that is manned by competent teachers and where schools are real learning centres, not magical examination centres.

He stated this during the African Top Schools Reports and Awards ceremony which held in Ikeja, Lagos.

The theme of the event was: Are you managing your school for value? Private versus public schools: Is it worth the money.?

“We started in 2013 because we noticed that some firms were not recruiting Nigerian graduates, they were saying the graduates were not employable. So, after I left Procter and Gamble, I felt I must contribute my quota to the development of education in Nigeria and I said how do we get the best 1,000 secondary schools in Nigeria yearly? We approached the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to give the list of the best performing schools in their examinations. 

“But because we know some schools may help their students during exams, we go round to verify and check schools for their facilities, curriculum, and practices. Schools that we find out to be real learning centres are the ones we are celebrating. Today, we have many of them here and some of them have been consistently among the top schools.

“The objective of the programme is to identify learning centres and to encourage parents to patronise only learning centres because the future of Nigeria and Africa lies in the ability to export skills outside. It is only in Africa that people go and look for jobs with their certificates, in other climes, people are engaged based on their abilities to solve problems. So, we try to encourage schools to produce solution providers and not job seekers.

“On the theme of the event, you can’t have a very good school without a very good leader. A principal that knows his onions must be the best teacher, parent, accounting officer etc. If you are a school principal, you are like the Managing Director of a bank and you have responsibilities to fulfil. School principals must add values to the lives of their students,” he stated.

Ayodele added that his organisation is averse to examination malpractice and that due diligence is also done on the list given it by the examination body. 

Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic Education, Hon. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, commended Ayodele and his organisation for the yeoman’s job they are doing to promote sound practices in the education sector and rewarding hard work and diligence.

“This aligns with the policy of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in the area of education where so much has been done. New schools have been built and the welfare of students and their teachers greatly improved. Schools are being upgraded and facilities provided too. It is therefore not surprising that Lagos State has the highest number of schools in the top 1,000 category,” he said.

Among the schools recognised for outstanding performances are Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi, Edo State; Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, Anambra State; Christ the King College, Gwagwalada, Abuja FCT; Atlantic Hall School, Pokia-Epe, Lagos State; Presentation National High School, Benin-City, Edo State; Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja FCT; Marist Brother’s Juniorate, Uturu, Abia State; Nigerian Tulip International Colleges, Igbinedion Education Center, Benin-City, Edo State and Albesta Academy Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.

Others are: Iloko Model College, Iloko- Ijesha, Osun State; Trinity International College, Mowe, Ogun State; Federal Government College Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Federal Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State; Government Secondary School Gwagwalada, Abuja FCT, among others. Among those who bagged awards were Governor Sanwo-Olu, Mr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Jon. Alli- Balogun and Dr. Mohammed Sani Ladan.

The Best Outstanding Tutor- General/ Permanent Secretary of the Year was bagged by Mrs. Anike Adekanye and Mr. Adeoye Bashir Adebowale.