Baptist Church Urges Action: Emergency Needed in Education

The Nigerian Baptist Convention has urged the federal and state governments to proclaim an emergency status for the educational sector.

The President of NBC, Israel Akanji, made this statement when speaking to reporters in Lagos prior to the 112th annual session of the convention, which is set to take place from April 26 to May 1, at the Baptist International Convention Centre.

Akanji contended that the educational system requires significant reform, emphasizing that declaring a state of emergency could bring back some stability.

The NBC President emphasized that the restructuring was necessary for schools ranging from primary to higher education levels.

He highlighted the significant number of children who were not attending school and also stressed the necessity for revamping the educational programs at higher education institutions to generate graduates capable of securing employment or becoming entrepreneurs themselves.

We urge every level of government to proclaim a state of emergency in the educational sector to facilitate comprehensive reform and reinstate stability. This action would assist in decreasing the number of children not attending school nationwide and tackle the various issues destabilizing our higher education institutions.

“Akanji stated that our higher education institutions should revise their curricula to develop graduates who are not just employable but capable of becoming self-reliant.”

Furthermore, the convention president instructed the Civil Defence Corps to implement robust strategies to prevent the kidnapping of students at educational institutions.

He emphasized, "We urge the leaders of the Civil Defence Corps to address the security threats targeting our public schools and put an end to the constant abductions of our children."

At the press conference, Akanji also called on President Bola Tinubu to continue working toward alleviating the "japa syndrome" and tackling widespread youth unemployment across the nation.

"We appreciate our President for his effective strategies and efforts aimed at decreasing widespread youth unemployment in the country. The government’s ongoing initiatives should visibly curb this trend," stated Akanji.

The press conference aimed to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Baptist activities in Nigeria.

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