Mr. Peter Obi, the Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, has underscored the importance of access to education to poverty reduction.
Obi said that Nigeria would successfully move millions of people out of poverty if the country invests more in education which remains a key sector of economic growth.
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, made this known in a message to celebrate the International Literacy Day. In his message reiterated that access to high quality basic education was a globally recognised solution to breaking the chains of poverty, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.
“We are once again provided with another opportunity to reflect on our commitments to education, which remains the easiest and surest way of reducing poverty and fostering economic growth and development. Every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education that will equip him with the knowledge and skills required for the future. Nigerian leaders must therefore encourage education with substantial financial commitment to the sector,” he said.
Obi decried the situation where more than 13 million Nigerian children were out of school, describing such as a recipe not just for economic stagnancy but also for national disaster.
Pointing the way forward for Nigeria and its economy, Obi advocated that more funds should be committed in to the education sector
“Unless Nigerian leaders commit substantial resources to accommodating a greater number of out of school children in education, Nigeria’s economy would continue to limp and national peace and security might continue to elude the nation”, he said
