The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Adunni Foundation, Motunrayo Alaka, has called for sustained commitment to children’s education, describing it as essential to Nigeria’s development and realisation of its independence.
Alaka made the call at the second edition of the Basic Education Torchbearers Awards (BETA), held in Lagos, themed ”The Child at the Centre: What Must Change in Nigeria’s Basic Education?”
She stressed that children are not just the future but also an important part of the present, saying that their education, creativity and aspirations must be central to national development.
“Sustaining a vision requires showing up every time. It is time to show up for Nigerian children and show up consistently,” she said.
During “Hope Nigeria Talks,” secondary school students and primary school pupils shared their hopes and aspirations for Nigeria regarding education.
Mrs Alaka pledged to present their concerns and recommendations to the government to help policymakers better understand children’s needs and develop appropriate solutions to address them.
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She also called on teachers to engage pupils more in intellectual activities and encourage independent thinking. Her advice followed her observation that some children relied on written notes during their presentations.
“The voice of the Nigerian child is extremely important. The voice of the child matters,” she said.
The Hope Nigeria Talks presented children from different schools across the country with the opportunity to demand that governments at all levels make education more affordable, improve learning environments and pay greater attention to out-of-school children.
The Children further appealed to the government to improve teachers’ welfare, and also urged teachers to be more patient and tolerant, stressing that they need a supportive environment to learn and develop.
The children emphasised that the government, parents and teachers must work together to provide a strong educational foundation for every child.
The event also featured a career development session in which professionals introduced children to different career paths and the opportunities available to them.
One of the panellists, lawyer Aderemi Durojaiye, advised the children to cultivate good character, focus on their studies and develop a strong reading culture.
He emphasized that professional success requires more than intelligence alone, stressing that good character is equally important. He also identified a strong reading culture as essential for aspiring lawyers.
The high points of the event were Hope Nigeria Talks, the career development panels, and the Outstanding Students Awards, which celebrated contributions to basic education and called for greater attention to children’s educational needs and aspirations.
