Education for All: Olusegun Mimiko Calls for Equity and Structural Reform
Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has called for urgent attention to educational equity, emphasising the importance of ensuring access to education for Nigeria’s poor.
Delivering the convocation lecture at the University of Benin on Thursday, November 21, 2024, titled “The Poor Also Deserve Education: Our Founding Heroes’ Legacies in Educational Equity and Equality,”
Mimiko underscored the disparities in educational standards between the country’s northern and southern regions.
The poor, now more than ever before, deserve education,” Mimiko said, urging governments at all levels to address the widening gap in access to quality education.
Highlighting the transformative potential of education, he stressed that equitable access is vital to fostering national development.
Mimiko traced the roots of educational equity in Nigeria to the vision of the late Obafemi Awolowo, who pioneered the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme in 1955.
“With a very clear ideological orientation on the pivotal place of education in the life of an individual, and its catalysing role in social development, Awolowo knew what he wanted,” Mimiko said.
He applauded Awolowo’s comprehensive approach to education, which included making it both free and compulsory, ensuring widespread enrolment.
“Awolowo’s Sword of Damocles, hanging around the neck of whichever parent that would not register their wards in school, practically made it possible for all of the basically disadvantaged children to go to school,” Mimiko recounted.
He added that Awolowo’s policy unleashed “a deliberate process of building a new society, and by so doing affirming the ramifying impact of education.”
The two-term former governor highlighted key takeaways from Awolowo’s era, including the need for a clear vision, proper planning, adequate funding, and unwavering commitment.
He urged contemporary leaders to replicate these principles to tackle current challenges in Nigeria’s education system.
Mimiko also critiqued policies such as the federal character principle and quota system, cautioning against the long-term consequences of lowering standards to address disparities.
“Lowering standards as a disparity management strategy can only be a very temporary measure, which could be counterproductive,” he argued, pointing to Nigeria’s experience as evidence.
Turning his focus to Nigeria’s political structure, Mimiko identified centralisation of power as a barrier to development.
“The system as structured is too centralised, and power is too concentrated at the central government, in a manner that limits the possibilities of regional or sub-national development,” he said.
He called for a review of the 1999 Constitution, advocating for structural reforms to empower federating units and stimulate local development.
“This, I actually regard as the most pressing challenge of the moment, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must give attention to,” he said.
“Only this can reinforce the bouquet of economic reformatory policies coming from his stable.”
The event also featured remarks from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Lilian Salami, who highlighted the institution’s 54-year legacy of achievements.
“The University of Benin has continued to build on her successes and would not rest on her oars,” she said.
Salami expressed confidence that the lecture would serve as a valuable resource for stakeholders in the education sector.
Mimiko’s lecture has sparked renewed conversations about the intersection of education, policy, and governance, underscoring the need for systemic reforms to create a more equitable and prosperous Nigeria.
