Stakeholders in the education sector and strategists have advised Federal Government to reposition the education curriculum for the future towards Information Communication Technology (ICT), to create wealth, and promote self-reliance.
Speaking at a youths leadership summit tagged; ‘Imaging the future’, Founder/ Lead Strategist, Eduxtra Solutions, Dr. Dolapo Tukuru, said that the present education curriculum will not help Nigeria students for the future.
According to him, it is very necessary to let the students know the power of technology because most of the future professions were hinged on technology and is permeating every aspect of business in today’s world.
“We want to introduce technology to students, so that they can start early to incorporate this new trend into their learning, even if the school does not teach this trend, students can get the relevant information through the platform we create for them. We must remember that the world has become a global market, and we must make out time to produce students, that can compete with other students from any place across the globe.
The organizer of the summit, Principal Facilitator, Invent Youth Leadership Initiative, Mr. Elijah Olupona, said that the event was targeted at preparing the youths and secondary school students on how they could be relevant in the coming future, and how they w ould become a solution provider to future challenges.
“The summit has several secondary school students from all over Lagos State in attendance. And the project has been on since 2012. The project is a mentorship program, which focuses on batting exchange, knowledge transfer, and knowledge sharing. The project is a two phases project. The first is the Leadership Summit, which is a meeting point where mentees meet with their career experts and facilitators. who are committed to educate and guide the mentees in the right direction?
“Then we move to the mentorship program which has a project window of three to six months. Mentees are actually paired with corresponding career volunteers and professionals, who will take them on a mentoring program of the project window as it is required. We also make room for mentors that will listen and continue with the relationship and interaction with the mentees, even after the project duration,” he explained.
Olupona further said that every project of this magnitude usually has funding problems and soliciting the support of well-meaning Nigerians as well as corporate organizations.
He commended Lagos State Government, Sahara Foundation, and other organizations for their support.
“We actually need the financial support of both individual, cooperate bodies, and even the government in order to touch the lives of students and prepare them for the future. We want to expand this project beyond Lagos State. We need to support the poorest of the poor among students. In the next five to ten years, we are seeing this project already saturating Nigeria and penetrating this continent, because Africa needs this project more. Africa needs leadership, the right set of individuals who would change the current status quo,” he emphasized.
Tutor General, Mrs. Oludara Oyebisi Okelola, represented by Assistant Director of Education, Education District VI, Mrs. Shonibare Roseline Omolara, the summit was an eye-opener for their students.
“It is actually targeted at preparing the students for the task which lies in the future, so as to make adequate preparation to match up with what the future holds for them. The summit opens the students up to the reality that would definitely come along with the future. It makes them know what is expected of them in the community in preparation for the future.
Founder of Sapphire Exploit 21st Century Skills Forum, Mrs. Wunmi Tolu-Alalade, said that their children are heading to the future that will declare some present professions obsolete and outdated.
“So, for this reason, there is an earnest need for us to equip them with relevant knowledge and data that would make them useful and relevant in the future. It is the sole responsibility of Parents, Guidance, Teacher, and Mentor, to equip them with all knowledge needed to fit in conveniently and live comfortably in the future,” she stressed.
