Governments at all levels have been charged to follow the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) recommendation of at least 26 percent of budget allocation to fund education.
The Founder of Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabith Ariyo Olagoke gave the charge at the 2025 Interfaith Conference organized by Centre for Religious Cooperation and Tolerance (CRCT) with the theme ‘Empower the Youth to Protect them from Poverty’.
The cleric also admonished the Federal Government to ensure that technical colleges and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are well focused on for skill development into entrepreneurship.
Professor Olagoke disclosed that technical and polytechnic education should be well funded and equipped to absorb the products of technical education from technical colleges and technical and vocational education and training.
He said that this will go a long way in empowering the youth to develop the country through physical productivity to enhance the exporting index for the nation.
“Every human being has a potential we can develop into skills that will make them beneficial to the nation as a productive asset to reduce our over reliance on foreign made goods.
“Allow ACTU and SERVICOM to work in every ministry, agency, parastatals and departments as well as empowering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and functionally effective judicial system to create enabling environment for youth development into reliable future leaders.
“Every index has shown that the resilient Nigerian children can achieve so high if we embrce their talents to aim for greatness regardless of our age. Let us work towards the UN definition of sustainable development as a function of good governance without compromising the youth’s abilities to develop at their own pace,” Professor Olagoke said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Oluwatobi Adesiji Adeokun, who is the former Dean, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, lauded the choice of theme of the conference.
He said that it is a theme that calls for sober reflection with focus to look inward to address the challenges facing the development and future of the country.
Prof. Adeokun disclosed that Nigeria is a blessed nation with abundant resources, coupled with population advantage, emphasizing that there is no need to look elsewhere for solutions on challenges we are facing as a nation.
“Thank God for the success of today’s event, the theme of today’s event is enhancing the development of Nigeria. Therefore, the only way we can enhance the development of Nigeria is by using our internal resources which I think it’s a good thing. Specialists have talked today on the way forward and we have seen that what we need is totally our internal resources, oil, agriculture. And I don’t think there is anything that Saudi Arabia has that we don’t have here in Nigeria. We have more population and we are also the largest economy in Africa.”
The event also witnessed the presentation of prizes to the winners of Olagoke Legacy (O’LEG) Foundation. It is an education competition for secondary school students across the South West states.
In the senior category, St Luke’s College, Molete emerged first, while Ibadan City Academy, Eleta and Iwo Muslim Comprehensive High School, Iwo, Osun State came second and third respectively.
Muslim Model School, Oke-Ado, Ibadan emerged first in the junior category, St Annes School, Molete came second and Shafaudeen Group of School, Wakajaiye, Ibadan came third.
