EDUCATION AS THE PRELUDE FOR NATION BUILDING. By: Comr. DAYONG NANSHAK KALALO

The fundamental values of education cannot be overemphasized, its positive impacts are very clear and comprehensible.It has significantly contributed to the rapid growth of the nation’s economic, social, religious, technological, administrative structure of the country and virtually almost every spheres of human life, education has excellently engraved an ink of development and progress in it. Every nation that is keen for development must prioritize education and invest in the educational sector, the education system must be properly given an adequate financial commitments, in order to enhance an effective service delivery in the educational sector.

The vast contributions of education to Nigeria as a country are so enormous that we can’t brag of anything without considering education as the prelude for our successes and progresses. The larger chunk of the work force that are at the helm of visualizing and driving the country’s policies, ideas, visions, missions etc are been produced and nurtured by the educational sector. Education provides the platform to improve the quality of life and continues regeneration of knowledge, capacity and skill in the society for continues productivity and development.

According to Nelson Mandela, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. It takes the efforts of the educated citizens to provide adequate and competent man power for national development, create an enlightened society, promote social and group relationships, increase Democratic participation, promote the culture of productivity, improve humans values. Show me a developed nation, I will describe a nation where there are competent legal practitioners who dispense equal justice to all its citizens, a nation where there are medical pundits to handle all health related challenges with high level of professionalism that citizens will see no reason to seek medical care in foreign countries and a nation where accountants prepare a good financial reports that attract foreign investors attention. The explicit different between the developed and developing nations is that the developed nations invested much funds and attention to the educational sector, knowing fully that, its through education that their desired gaols can be attained.Most advance and developed countries like Canada, United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Israel. Norway etc experienced a paradigm shift in their nations as a result of the meticulous attention given to the educational system and it gives them an age over their contemporaries.

 A nation cannot be built without quality education system, it's so pathetic considering the educational system in Nigeria, the incessant strike actions embarked upon by the Academic staff Union of universities (ASUU), Academic staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) None Academic staff Union (NASU) and the national Union of teachers at secondary and primary level has possed a serious challenged and setback to the educational system. It is worrisome that the appropriation bill of  2021 budget allocated to the educational sector is 5.6% out of the 13.6 trillion national budget, which is falling below the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization recommendation standard, the Nigerian educational system has been poorly funded. Nigeria would have been far much developed than it stands now, if the adequate attention is given to education. 

The education is in a decrepitude condition now and a swift action needed to be taken to rescue it. All those at the corridors of authorities and leadership should rise and prioritize the nation education. Policy makers at all level should begin to make policies and sponsor bills that will ameliorate and revamp the deplorable educational system and gives it a new breathe of life.
I recommend and implore that government should take an indefatigable actions to proffer an ultimate panacea to the debilitating educational system.

Dayong Nanshak Kalalo ( a.k.a de Knowledge )