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Education is the means by which any society can develop.
The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, on Wednesday said education was crucial for the actualisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.
The first lady said this at the inauguration of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, NAOWA, College at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Barrack in Abuja.
According to her, education is the means by which any society can develop, noting that the Universal Basic Education remains one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains an important target that Nigeria has to reach by 2015. Noble projects, such as the one we are inaugurating today, are which well meaning organisations can help to move Nigeria in the right direction of the MDGs goals.
“I therefore call on other well meaning Nigerians to borrow a leaf from this project by contributing to the development of education in their communities. An investment in education is an investment in our children and the future of our nation,’’ she said.
Mrs. Jonathan advised parents to ensure that their children attend school regularly, so that they could be good leaders of tomorrow.
She said that for learning to be effective there was the need for the environment to be conducive adding that by the achievement NAOWA was adding value to the community.
The First Lady said NAOWA, through the project, was also effectively contributing to government effort of providing good and quality education for Nigeria children.
“I particularly note your initiative and interest in the girl-child in acknowledging the saying that when you educate a girl, you educate a nation. Therefore, I will appeal to NAOWA to ensure that the good work you have started today is accomplished,’’ Mrs. Jonathan added.
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, said the college was established by NAOWA to provide quality education in a serene and conducive atmosphere.
Mr. Ihejirika said education was considered as fundamentally important to addressing the critical global challenges facing the nation today.
“It is a tool for empowerment and emancipation, indeed studies over the years had shown that there is strong link between poverty and illiteracy. This, therefore, underscores the importance which the present administration attaches to education and explains the reason why it constitutes a major aspect of the President’s Transformation Agenda. The Nigerian Army will continue to support the Federal Government education initiatives through investment in primary and tertiary institutions,” he said.
Earlier, the President of NAOWA, Nnenna Ihejirika, said the Association, which is a Non-Governmental Organisation, had been in the fore front of establishing education facilities. She said this was part of the association’s effort to reach out to the less-privileged in the society. She said the foundation of the college was laid on December 5, 2011 by the First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
“The NAOWA college project was conceived out of the need to improve the quality of education in the country in support of Federal Government policy on education. It is a new co-educational school set to provide British-Nigeria curriculum built on strong moral principles and the fear of God. The college mission is to educate the total child based on sound education and social uprightness to make a child creative and responsible in the society,” she said.
(NAN)
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