Buhari tells Nigerian parents to make sacrifices to ensure their children receive an education at London summit

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerian parents to start making sacrifices to ensure that their children get educated because without an education their wards will find it hard to compete in the global economy.

Speaking at the recent Global Partnership for Education (GPE) summit in London yesterday, alongside several other African leaders and British prime minister Boris Johnson, President Buhari said a person who misses education has missed everything. He added that an individual cannot succeed outside his personal educational qualification.

According to President Buhari, Nigeria's size and population are challenges for any administration but despite this, the government and people realise that education is the starting point for success. He added that no Nigerian parent jokes with education, as they know that if their children or wards missed the opportunity of being educated, they have missed a lot.

President Buhari said: “You can’t succeed outside your educational qualification and anybody who missed education has missed everything. Nigerians are acutely aware of the priority of education and parents are making sacrifices to ensure that their children and wards get educated.”

 Also on the panel were Presidents Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi. Each of them spoke on the peculiarities of the education sector of his country and how budgetary allocations would be increased to ameliorate the situation.

They all raised their hands as a sign of commitment to that resolution. On Wednesday, President Buhari committed to raising Nigeria's education budget by 50% over the next two years, adding that the country would attain a 100% increase by 2025.