Education has been described as the most valuable asset to any country.
The national president of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Alumni Association, Worldwide, Adamu Mamman Kontagora, stated this while speaking at the association’s 2024 annual lecture dinner and award night in Abuja.
Kontagora who was responding to a statistics by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that revealed that over 18 million children are out of school in Nigeria, said education is a cornerstone for any developmental initiative and the provision of education cuts across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
Acknowledging that universities are engines of social and economic growth, he said the quantity and quality of universities reveal a nation’s determination to stay ahead globally.
Speaking on the role of alumni in advancing education in Nigeria, Kontagora said that alumni associations have a crucial responsibility in contributing toward sustainable educational growth, particularly as reflected in the theme of the lecture: “The Role of Alumni Associations in Advancing University Education in Nigeria.”
In line with this commitment, the association unveiled the proposed Ahmadu Bello University Centre for Reproductive Medicine, the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria.
Kontagora said the project will undoubtedly improve the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, among other laudable objectives.
Also speaking at The event, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, noted the importance of investing in youth, saying the youth represent the heartbeat of the nation and the foundation of its future.
He called for deliberate efforts to empower young people with the tools they need to succeed, including quality education, mentorship, and opportunities for entrepreneurship.
In his address, the guest speaker, His highness, Malam Muhammadu Munir Jaafar, Madakin Zazzau, emphasized the critical role of alumni associations in rescuing Nigeria’s public universities from financial decline and infrastructural decay.
Delivering his keynote address on ‘the role of Alumni Association in advancing the University system in Nigeria’ the Madakin Zazzau lamented that the dwindling government funding and surging student enrollments are threatening the sustainability of higher education.
He pointed that funding for public universities has dropped by 40 per cent over the past five years, while student enrollment has surged by 50 per cent.
According to him, Public universities are becoming dens for storing research findings with no practical application due to poor funding.
He urged Nigerian alumni to emulate universities like Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Tokyo, whose alumni have transformed their institutions through strategic partnerships and financial support.