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Being Text of the Speech of His Excellency, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, at the 19th Convocation Ceremony of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) 18th November, 2023 at Agbani, Enugu.
It is a pleasure for me to be with you on the august occasion of your 19th convocation ceremony. My happiness stems partly from my pride at seeing so many young people crossing this major landmark in their lives and partly because of the importance that I attach to education as a whole. In my view, education is probably our greatest weapon in our war against poverty eradication in the medium to long term. It is for this reason that education is at the core of the strategy which we envisage will see us boost our GDP from the current levels of about $4.4b to at least $30b by the end of 2031.
This is the reason we have designed and are implementing a most revolutionary revamp of the current educational system. This revamp will be extensive and exhaustive, ranging from the basic school levels through secondary to the tertiary institutions like ESUT. There will be changes not only in the curricula but also in the models for delivering knowledge in our educational institutions.
The most radical change will take place in our basic schools where our children spend their first nine years schooling. There, we shall be implementing our ‘cut-off’ program which will include a ‘school meals plus’ programme, providing our children not only with school meals but also preventive medication, vaccination etc. In addition, there will also be an upgrade of the curriculum and teaching methods to infuse modern methods of experiential learning that leverage practical exercises and technology. These would position our children from the age of 3 to compete effectively in the world of the 21st century. Beyond the teaching and learning systems, the administration of the schools would also leverage technology, to allow the delivery of classes virtually, and live streaming of certain learning content even from teachers and facilitators living overseas.
This process has already started as we speak. We have completed our first pilot model school, where a team of global experts are training some of our best teachers in a future- oriented way of learning. This week, we also awarded for construction an additional nine smart schools. In less than 14 months, we expect to be completing the remainder 250 schools which will place at least one model school in each of the wards across the state. This will ensure that no child is deprived of world class knowledge merely on account of their place of abode. Even the poorest child in the most interior ward in this state will be able to receive world class education, using tools of the 21st century.
These Smart schools will each be equipped with internet access, solar power, a centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, a modern ICT centre, two well-equipped science labs for primary school and junior secondary school, a studio for creative production, 25 inclusive classrooms with interactive digital whiteboards, android tablets for pupil’s use, etc.
The other tiers of education will not be left out. In line with this, upon leaving JS3, our children will have the option of proceeding to secondary schools, or they may proceed to special technical, vocational, entrepreneurial and science high schools to become highly skilled and marketable professionals.
The tertiary institutions would not be left out either, as plans are in gear to upgrade our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education by investing in their infrastructure and building their capacity through linkages with leading schools around the world. In line with this, I am glad that the leadership and administration of ESUT is already moving in the right direction as evidenced by its achievements over the last year, especially the following:
• The successful re-accreditation of the college of medicine
• The successful re-accreditation of the college of laboratory sciences
• The recent digitalisation of the school’s students’ records
• The continued installation of critical broadband infrastructure to ensure reliable internet
• Extensive upgrade of the school’s infrastructure including the refurbishment of 4 major faculty buildings.
These current advancements, as well as those we plan to undertake soon, are unprecedented bold investments in education.
By 2024, we will be spending close to 30% of our state budget on education, well above the 15-25% recommended by international development agencies. In our view, this investment is justified because, education is that magic key that will ensure that every citizen is given a fair chance at life. It will ultimately ensure that we can achieve the Enugu of our dreams where poverty is reduced to a distant memory for every family in the state and we can say goodbye to the levels of hopelessness that tend to give rise to high levels of criminality in our communities.
In closing, I must not forget to convey my sincere congratulations to all the 9,017 graduating students here today; your presence in this exclusive fold is evident that you have been deemed worthy in character and learning to receive the seal of approval of a reputable school like the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. Beyond being a testament to your intellectual acumen, your success in earning your respective degrees indicates your diligence and perseverance since a university degree course is more akin to a marathon than a 100m dash. However, it is also critical to point out to you that this is not the end but rather the beginning. Ahead of you still lies most of life’s winding road with its emotional “hills and valleys”. Yes, I must tell you that life will most likely still throw at you all many twists and challenges which you must surmount if you must reach those ambitious personal objectives you have, no doubt, set for yourselves. There will most likely be ups and downs, successes and sadly failures. But luckily, all you need to remember is that none of these need be final. Success can yet lead to failure if it is followed by overconfidence, and failure can indeed be the stepping stone to success if it triggers self-examination and learning.
Another thing to bear in mind is that this degree is but a tool to further learning both through experience, mentorship, and further education. Never stop learning. As the great Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether he is twenty or eighty, and anyone who keeps learning stays young.” In line with those wise words, my fervent wish for you all is that you never grow old.
