NECA seeks urgent reform of country’s educational system

• Bemoans suspension of Greif Nigeria Plc, others
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), has called as matter of urgency, a total reform of the nation’s educational system.
The association commended the Federal Government’s resolution of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, it noted that the country cannot continue to treat the educational system with disdain, if it is desirous of improving the Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, where Nigeria sits in a pitiable 157th position of the 189 countries assessed in 2017.

The Director-General of NECA, Timothy Olawale said the touted dysfunctional educational system has been adjudged as the reason why expatriates come into the country to take up jobs that should ordinarily be taken up by graduates.

Olawale stressed that the talk of national development would be mere lip service if the appropriate authorities do not address the rot in the nation’s educational system.

Olawale, who expressed worries over the incessant ASUU strike, which has become a sort of annual tradition, said the focus now should be on ensuring students learned without any interruption, regretting that it has become almost impossible for students in tertiary institutions to have one session at a stretch without interruption.

Charting the way forward, Olawale, who stated the implication of the strike on businesses and national development, urged government and ASUU to ensure that this should be the last of this kind, calling that all hands must be on deck to ensure there is no interruption whatsoever again in the country’s educational system.

Meanwhile, NECA has expressed regret at the recent suspension of operations of Greif Nigeria Plc. and a host of other manufacturing companies in the country.

Olawale said it was disheartening to receive the news of the closure of the factory plants of the company in Delta and Kaduna States, and ultimately the suspension of operations in Nigeria.

According to him, this brings to fore the challenges businesses are faced with in Nigeria.

He said it was not enough for government to invite private capital from overseas, saying that businesses already operating in Nigeria should be given all the necessary support to thrive and mitigate the effects of the inhospitable business environment.

He urged government to double its efforts at creating conducive operating environment for businesses to thrive, saying, “there is no reason why interest-free loans, bail-out grants or tax holidays should not be given to businesses that have been certified as being on the brink of extinction.

A critical look at regulatory high-handedness and lawlessness that tends to stifle businesses is highly overdue if the nation does not want to have many other businesses closing down in few months”