REPORTER: OKECHUKWU EZEONA
The Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for bold and audacious reforms to tackle Nigeria’s education crisis, warning that incremental improvements can no longer meet the demands of a rapidly changing, technology-driven world. Governor Mbah made the call at the Enugu Education Summit, with the theme, “Transforming Education for the Future.”
The Governor said that the challenge is no longer only about access to education, but the quality and relevance of learning available to Nigeria’s predominantly young population. He cited the construction of two hundred and sixty Smart Green Schools, one in each electoral ward in Enugu State, as a key component of his administration’s drive to equip children with modern knowledge and technological skills.
Dr. Mbah explained that more than one-third of the state’s budget has been committed to education in three consecutive budget cycles, describing the investment as a strategic effort to secure the future of the state. He urged governments at all levels and education stakeholders to treat the learning crisis as a national emergency, stressing that the scale of the challenge requires a quantum leap in action.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Education, Professor Nwabueze Mbah, noted that Enugu’s education reforms were being strengthened through partnerships with UNICEF, UNESCO and the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration. He pointed out that the collaboration had produced a ten-to-twenty-year education policy and short-term operational plans focused on data-driven, systematic and experiential learning across the state’s seventeen Local Government Areas.
Development partners and other stakeholders commended the state government’s education reforms, stressing the need for sustained collaboration, innovation and investment in human capital. They emphasized that stronger partnerships would help improve teaching and learning, advance technology-driven education and equip young people with skills for the future.
