At the recently held 10th anniversary of Total School S u p p o r t Seminar/ Exhibition (TOSSE) in Lagos, Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury in her keynote address revealed that education has been the most important element in building her home country, Finland.
In her keynote address, the Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, said that education is the only factor that can turn around the fortunes of any nation, hence, human capital development of any country cannot, and must not be wasted.
Chowdhury who suggested that education has contributed immensely towards the growth and development of her country, said, “Children in Finland schools has the opportunity of making a choice of vocational educational training to further better themselves. Educational system in Finland is based on equality, learning and personal development,” she stated.
While expressing the determination of Finland to strongly partner with the Nigerian government in taking education to the next level, Suomela-Chowdhury called for the need to ensure that education is made flexible for all to participate in. She also stressed the need for teachers to be motivated in any school system stating that highly qualified and motivated teachers are part of the elements of education in Finland.
Meanwhile, Principal Consultant, Edumark Consult, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, said her passion for excellence in the education sector was the catalyst behind the sustenance of the yearly event. “It has not been easy all these years, indeed, it has been a journey and a learning experience and with focus, we have been able to come this far.”
The TOSSE convener also stressed that Nigeria is due for change and conscious efforts must be put in place to deposit meaningful things into the future leaders of Nigeria.
“The future of the education sector depends on our investment in the education sector. However, Nigeria needs to change because if you keep doing the same thing the same way, you will not change and that is what TOSSE is about.
“I want to raise people who are passionate about what they are doing, to see the big picture and beauty of every child.”
“As I think on the journey so far, I am reminded of the power of an idea, the power of pursuit and perseverance, the power of consistently doing better than one did yesterday, and ultimately, the power of collaboration and positive associations.
“Anything that is worth doing at all will require strategic collaboration at one point or the other. This message of collaboration is what the theme of TOSSE this year is hinged on.
“Competition has a role in global economics, but collaboration has an increasingly more important role in today’s world,” Ogunde added.
On his part, chairman of the occasion, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan said education is the key to positive change in Nigeria and indeed all over the world.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who stressed the need for practical change in Nigeria added that, “Children that has proper training should be well positioned to run the affairs of the country.”
On her part, the deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Adebule advised that international practices should be brought into the Nigerian education system.
Dr. Adebule, who was represented by Mrs. Ronke Soyonbo, also revealed that measures have been put in place to ensure the growth of the state’s educational sector.
According to the deputy governor, “Safeguarding our schools remains the priority of the state government.”
Nassarawa State Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Aliyu Tijjani Ahmed stressed that education cannot be enough without adequate security, adding that an enabling environment must be provided by government across the states, for education to blossom.
Photo credit: Suleiman Husaini
