Press Releases

We Must Invest Massively In Education To Make The Difference — Fashola

Jan 13, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday called on African leaders to invest massively in Education as the only means to emancipate Africa from the shackles of Western influence.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Second Annual Hijrah Lecture/Dua Prayers organized by the State House of Assembly, said only the only hope of liberating the African Economy from the stranglehold of the World Bank and the International Financial institutions.

“It is only through Education that we can create skilled people. It is only skilled people who can be creative. It is only skilled people who can be productive. It is only educated people who can challenge paradigms and dare to be different”, the Governor said.

Calling for the diversification of the nation’s economy, Governor Fashola expressed regrets that because the nation’s economy was predicated on a shaky foundation of extraction and exportation of oil, it has created a nation of wealth seekers and middle men rather than a nation of creative and productive people.

“The truth is that the major source of our economy, oil, has no significance of internal local production input. All of the oil mining and extraction is done by external people while we sit in the middle holding licenses and collecting royalties. We must be creative. We must be productive”, the Governor said.

Going back in history, Governor Fashola declared, “the problem the whole world has today has a strong root in Africa. When the European Revolution was developing, it was to Africa the whole world looked to find labour”, adding that this resulted in the most dehumanizing trade the world had ever known – Slave Trade.

“Today, there is energy crisis. Sadly enough, Africa has abundance of sunshine and the world is once again looking towards Africa to tap the sun’s energy. What are our leaders and scientists doing? What is the danger of continuous tapping of the sun’s energy”, he queried.

Governor Fashola, however, proffered a short term solution to the economic problems of the Continent saying there was need to renew and reinvest in infrastructure as the only way to make the economy competitive. “Investment in power will give a major shot in the arm of our manufacturing sector, and restore jobs and human dignity”, he said.

He said his administration has taken a bold step in this direction by floating a bond issue in which the public was expected to invest as a means to achieve the infrastructural renewal of the State adding, “I urge you all to invest for the renewal of the infrastructure of Lagos”.

“In diversifying the economy, there is need to also diversify the source of the resources that sustain the economy. We must go back to the traditional method of funding government and public expenditure which is taxation and borrowing. It is only those who commit their money to this that can engage in democracy and it is only those who engage in democracy that can raise their voices and say no to bad governance”, the Governor said.

He commended the Guest Lecturer, Professor Attahiru Jega, for his in-depth and incisive lecture which he described as not only incisive but also thought provoking, saying he agreed with the lecturer on the lucid and profound conclusion that economic challenge anywhere in the world was an economic challenge everywhere in the world.

He also thanked the State Legislators for organizing the second lecture series recalling “We prayed that the Almighty Allah will give us the grace to make it a permanent feature in the Lagos State calendar. Not only has the prayer been answered today, the celebration has coincided with the development of a very momentous event in Lagos today which is the demonstration of a security command and control centre in Lagos”.

According to the Governor, “It will assist all of us to sleep safely at night and walk safely around during the day. It will also empower our security and law enforcement officers to improve on their duties”.

In his lecture titled ”The Nigerian Economy and the Challenges of Leadership in The Face Of Global Economic Recession”, Professor Jega urged Nigerian elites in position of leadership to get their acts together and work towards responsive and responsible governance.

They should also work with dignified conduct and commitment to the restructuring of the nation’s economy in order to shield Nigeria from the negative consequences of the global economic recession.

Professor Jega commended the Lagos State Legislature for the high level of harmony between it and the Executive saying this has largely been responsible for the enormous transformation going on in the State.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly the Right Honorable Adeyemi Ikuforiji called on the Federal Government to fulfill its promise of implementing the Reports of the Mohammed Uwais Commission on Electoral Reforms so that the nation’s youths would be given the opportunity to leadership of the country.

He thanked Governor Fashola for sponsoring the lecture, saying this was a fulfillment of a promise made to the House last year by the Governor.

The occasion witnessed a large turn out of Muslims from within and outside the State, including the State Chairman of the Action Congress , Chief Henry Ajomale and the Action Congress gubernatorial candidate for Osun State in the April 2007 election, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola.