- Nigeria must step up and position itself in education to compete at the global stage
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), has urged Nigeria to invest heavily in agriculture if it is to make progress in the community of nations.
The AfDB president, speaking at a public lecture honouring former head of state General Yakubu Gowon, at 90, at the ECOWAS secretariat in Abuja, stated that Nigeria is seriously lagging behind in tertiary education, with only 7% of its population enrolled in higher institutions.
He said this is too low compared with other countries like South Korea which has 70 percent, Canada, 67; and UK 58.
He said it is obvious from this that Nigeria must step up and position itself in education to compete at the global stage.
Adesina also lamented the level of poverty in Nigeria which he said has led to increase in crime and other social vices as well as threatens food security.
“A more secured Nigeria would be a more food secured Nigeria,” he stated.
He also expressed concerns over the mass migration of youths out of the country, saying, it would undermine the country’s economic drive if something drastic was not done to tackle it.