Roadmap to a New Nigeria That Is Possible โ Part II
Education and Healthcare: The Foundation of a Renewed Nigeria
Recall that on July 1st, in Part 1 of "My Vision for a Productive and Prosperous Nigeria," I outlined the broad framework of my proposed roadmap for national renewal. In it, I emphasised that the transformation of Nigeria must begin with rebuilding our human capital through quality education and healthcare, supported by reforms in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), character and civic education, and strategic investments that will move our nation from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one. I promised to follow up with other parts in the coming weeks and months.
Today, July 16th, in the middle of July, I wish to expand on these two critical pillars - education and healthcare - because they are the bedrock upon which every prosperous nation is built. They are the cornerstones of the foundation that will ensure that a son of nobody can become somebody and remove many from the ranks of the disaffected who often become tools in the insecurity challenges confronting us.
Evidence from around the world shows that quality education and accessible healthcare are among the clearest distinctions between thriving nations and lagging ones. Princeton University Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton highlights this reality in his book, โThe Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality.โ
Nothing, therefore, could be further from the truth than the claim by some young people that โeducation is a scam.โ Education, when combined with good health, provides the ladder for individual upward mobility and drives economic growth for the nation.
We must become more intentional about aligning education with our national priorities, as Singapore did, and challenge our country to value education in the same way Deng Xiaoping repeatedly urged China to do from 1978 onwards, with the remarkable transformation we see today.
We will work through commissions that strengthen collaboration among the tiers of government, ensuring that primary education is domiciled at the community and local government levels, with strong parental involvement and curricula that are sensitive to local economic factor endowments and the value chains derived from them.
State governments will be supported to expand high-quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as well as general secondary education, through targeted grants and incentives.
We are also developing schemes that will enable universities to focus more deliberately on specialised areas of teaching and research, making them globally competitive while producing a workforce equipped for the demands of the future.
A NEW Nigeria is POssible. -PO
They told us subsidy was dead and buried, but NNPCLโs latest financial statements revealed โฆ7.1 trillion was quietly spent as an "energy security expense". Meanwhile, citizens are paying over โฆ1,200 at the pump. The opacity in our public finance architecture is exactly why public trust has completely evaporated
Can u see they changed the name to energy security expense Hahahaha
It is subsidy ooo
๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the United Nations and other international human rights and accountability bodies to investigate the abduction of pupils and teachers from Ahoro Esinle School in Oriire Local Government Area, saying the incident warrants scrutiny beyond Nigeria's domestic institutions.
Credit: X | Oyo Affairs
This week, I have observed with deep concern two notable media appearances: one by my brother, Mr. Peter Obi, and the other by the family of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
In his interview with Mr. Chude Jideonwo, Mr. Obi voiced serious worries about his personal safety and the adverse impact his role as an opposition leader has had on his businesses. Even more troubling was the Federal Governmentโs response, which resorted to personal insults and derogatory language instead of the restraint and maturity expected of a democratic administration.
Let me state clearly: like every Nigerian, our presidential candidate and all of us deserve the full protection of the state, not ridicule for raising legitimate concerns.
Democratic leadership requires fairness, justice, and restraint.
A government entrusted with protecting citizens should not dismiss or mock credible calls for help from any individual, including Mr. Peter Obi.
On the other hand, it was distressing to watch the wives of Malam Nasir El-Rufai publicly express the familyโs anguish over his prolonged detention.
Regardless of political affiliation, Malam El-Rufai, like every Nigerian, is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court. The continued delay in granting him bail through what many perceive as stringent and unreasonable conditions is deeply concerning. As an unconvicted citizen, he deserves a fair and expeditious trial, while his health and that of his family are adequately safeguarded.
I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians in urging the Federal Government to handle these matters with transparency, accountability, and justice. These issues must not be weaponised to settle political scores.
For our democracy to truly thrive, every citizen; young or old, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political persuasion must receive equal and equitable treatment under the law from the government that exists to protect us all. - RMK
I watched with disappointment the recent interview granted by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to Channels Television on Monday.
After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriffโs judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case.
In the interview, the former governor claimed that Peter Obi cannot command sizeable support in Northern Nigeria. It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses. For the record, in his first outing on the presidential ballot, Mr. Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the region โ a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly.
Given the current national hardships, the widespread consensus on the failure of the APC administration, and the addition of a strong Northern figure to the ticket who previously garnered 1.45 million votes in the region, the OK ticket remains a formidable force in Northern politics.
Even more surprising was Senator Sheriffโs assertion that the people of Kano would not vote for Mr. Obi. Let me state clearly: the good people of Kano are neither bigoted nor xenophobic. They have consistently demonstrated strong trust in the Kwankwasiyya movement and will support any credible ticket presented under its banner.
I respectfully advise Senator Sheriff that, in future national television appearances, he would do better to speak to the serious insecurity and humanitarian challenges facing his home state, rather than making divisive and poorly considered remarks.
The OK ticket currently represents the best opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and place it on a path of competence, unity, and progress. - RMK
I will hardly trust any data that comes out of government if 8.8 trillion can be hidden
A plane landed on an expressway and people came down but the government canโt produce manifest of the plane ?
@PeterObi What pains me the most is that all this cries will end in the bin as usual, this country can not be delivered by just keyboard. To deliver a country from international wickedness requires physical confrontation both hard and political uprising. Let save this country from evil.
@aonanuga1956 Normally Normal, in a country with correct citizens not borron in Nigeria, you & ur principal would have been on your way out. But I know the children of wazobia will only rant on social Media with their keyboards and lol short memory as you bring out another Schock to distract.
Iran will never follow through on any MOU.
Iran will never agree to a deal.
Iran will never give up its nuclear ambitions.
Iran will never voluntarily give up control of the Strait.
Iran will never stop supporting terrorists proxies.
Iran will never be a normal country under this regime.
I was never a practising, observant Muslim.
Yet, even I wanted Islam to take over Europe and the West until I was a teenager.
We are taught that Islam's greatest achievements are conquest and colonialism.
We are taught that the greatest thing we could ever do is enable the invasion and conquest of non-Muslim countries.
This is a fact that only a former Muslim would tell you.
๐จ WANTED FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT ๐จ
IGP OLATUNJI RILWAN DISU has REFUSED to obey a 2015 Federal High Court judgment ordering the Nigeria Police Force to pay my right-hand reconstruction medical bill. I am a graphics animator SHOT by a police officer at a checkpoint in Lagos.
10 YEARS. No payment. No justice.
I face permanent disability without help.
Suit No: FHC/L/CS/573/13
#JusticeForTomori
@inecnigeria I wonder if Nigerians will still allow this entity to conduct next year general election, or protest against them or their should be no election next year. This ekiti election is a prototype to next year. I pray inec will not burn down this country comes 2027.
Yesterday, I had the honour of hosting my brother and partner, His Excellency Peter Obi, at my residence in Abuja.
I warmly welcomed him back from his highly productive international trip, and we engaged in frank and productive discussions on key partisan and national issues.
Our party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), remains united. As leaders, we must continue to demonstrate maturity by making the necessary sacrifices and tolerating our differences in pursuit of our shared goal.
We are resolute in this mission, and together, we shall ensure that Nigeria is OK. - RMK
Media Framing of Crime Along Ethnic Lines: Divisive.
As an Igbo man, I have endured stereotypes, judgment, and labelling solely based on my ethnic origins. This is not an isolated Igbo experience. Most Nigerians have, at some point, been reduced to their ethnicity rather than recognised for their true character.
I understand the pain of the ordinary Fulani man today, often unfairly judged by the actions of criminals he does not support, has never met, and who are not representative of his people.
Even in America, such unjust labelling fueled the civil rights movement and prompted Martin Luther King Jr. to declare that people should be judged by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin.
Every Nigerian ethnic group is known for its unique traditions, occupations, skills, and strengths. Crime, however, has no ethnicity. A thief is a thief. A terrorist is a terrorist. A kidnapper is a kidnapper. They are bad actors, not representatives of any people. They must be identified, arrested, and punished according to the law.
We must decisively abandon the dangerous practice of blaming entire ethnic groups for the actions of a few criminals. It is unjust, it breeds hatred, and it damages our national unity.
Let us proudly celebrate our diverse cultures, talents, and contributions, rather than falling prey to stereotypes and prejudices that politicians and divisive interests exploit for their gain.
A new Nigeria must emergeโone where no citizen is condemned because of tribe, religion, or birthplace. We can cherish our cultural roots while standing united by justice, mutual respect, and hope for a better future. We are capable of this.
A new Nigeria is within our reach. -PO
@itz_taser I think Nigeria is the hell on this world. What have I done to deserve this kind of experience. To even think of it that some people are working hard to make sure this current government continues to reign on this evil is heartbreaking.