Senate Leader advocates more investment in education
The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has called on governments at all levels, corporate organisations, and philanthropists to recommit to investing more meaningfully in the education sector.
He made this call after receiving an honorary doctorate during the 29th convocation of Ekiti State University, held in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, over the weekend.
In his address, Bamidele highlighted how developed and emerging nations in Asia, Europe, and North America have used education as a powerful tool for socio-economic transformation.
He emphasised that for Nigeria to achieve its development goals, more strategic investment in education is essential.
“Public and private actors should return to the drawing board and recommit themselves to the task of investing more meaningfully in people,” Bamidele said. “When I talk about quality education, I mean the kind of education that liberates minds, transforms generations, and unlocks doors to limitless opportunities across all sectors.”
He pointed out that education has been a critical tool for nations worldwide in their path to development.
“This tool is equally available to us as a people in the pursuit of our national aspiration,” he added.
Bamidele, who received the honorary doctorate alongside the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, and the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Bank of Industry, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, further tasked the government and well-meaning individuals with creating an enabling environment for producing globally competitive Nigerians.
“It also entails purposeful public investments in our younger generations, and we must act now. This demands sustained and strategic support from private interests across all sectors,” Bamidele said.
He pointed to successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Warren Buffet, who built global brands and companies through such investments in education and innovation.
Bamidele stressed that Nigeria could similarly produce global billionaires and brands if the country embraces education as a key priority.
“We cannot achieve it by accident or by chance but through strategic planning and aggressive pursuit of those plans,” he added.
He reiterated that the only way to reach the desired national development is by strategically investing in education and people.
The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Prof. Ayodele Joseph, also spoke on the positive impact of Bamidele’s contributions to the institution.
He mentioned several projects facilitated by the Senate Leader, including the construction of male and female hostels for medical students, a mini stadium, and an FM radio station, all of which will be donated by Senator Bamidele.
The Vice-Chancellor also noted that the monthly subvention to the university had increased from N260m to N410m, linking this improvement to the senator’s efforts.
