Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former two-term governor of Ondo, has said that massive investment in Nigeria’s education and health sectors has been advocated as the main panacea to address poverty and human development.
He made the revelation on Friday as a guest speaker at the inaugural convocation ceremony of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) in Osara.
He added that apart from investment in education and health, decentralization of the Nigerian police should be the way out of insecurity.
The theme of the inaugural call of the Osara Confluence University of Science and Technology is “Health and illiteracy, alliance of brothers against development.”
He noted that Nigeria remains the worst place to give birth, lamented the country’s life expectancy rate and lamented out-of-pocket health expenses that will rise to 76% in 2022.
Dr Mimiko disagreed with the timing and methods used in the removal of subsidies that caused the socio-economic challenges of inflation, however described the introduction of NELFUND as laudable and urged the government to come out strong and address other issues causing problems in the country’s tertiary institutions.
The former governor of Ondo State attributed insufficient funding to health and education, noting that this has led to, among other things, poor human capital development, resulting in a less skilled and less healthy workforce, and reduced economic productivity and competitiveness.
Mimiko noted that the 162nd position of out-of-school children among the 186 countries included in the list of adult literacy is unacceptable and described investment in education and health as factors for rapid growth and development.
He also lamented a situation where only 49 per cent and 55 per cent of children in school achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills respectively.
He expressed concern that the country’s education budget does not reflect that of a nation that appreciates the critical role of education in sustainable economic development.
Dr. Mimiko lamented that Nigeria has 18.1 million out-of-school Nigerians, a population that is larger than many countries in the world, insisting that a healthy individual makes a rich nation and called for better budgetary provision for education and health.
Dr. Mimiko described Nigeria as an undoubtedly underdeveloped country and described human capital in the area of education and health as a catalyst for social development.
He explained that a deliberate health and education policy that encourages effective budgeting by the national and subnational government is another way to free people from ignorance and poverty.
The guest speaker lamented the working conditions of university and academic teachers and called for better funding to motivate teachers and professors.
Expressing concern about stunting, a deficiency that impairs growth and development caused by poor nutrition, repeated infections and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, he said children are defined by better nutrition between the ages of 1 to 5 years and advocated that the school feeding program has improved.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, who also acts as the Chairman of the Convocation Conference, praised the establishment of Confluence University of Science and Technology. Osara said the institution’s graduate students have shown that the ends justify the means.
In his welcome remarks, Engr. Professor Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu, Vice-Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, in a welcome address, said that the conference is an intellectual engagement that marks another milestone in the history of the university.
The Vice Chancellor added that the theme of the conference, “Ill health and illiteracy, alliance of brothers against development”, addresses two intertwined social burdens that continue to impede progress in Nigeria and many developing countries towards renewed passion and strategy to address the tormenting twin.