Africa Must Focus On Education For Continental Growth – Alakija

Education, technology, and the creative talents of Africans among other tips must be prioritised as part of the strategies towards transforming the African continent.

This is according to Forbes Africa’s richest woman, Mrs Folunrusho Alakija, who is the Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company.

She was addressing students of John F. Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard School in the United States.

Mrs Alakija highlighted the importance of education on national development, saying it plays a vital role in securing economic development.

“What are the benefits of education on national development? Education raises people’s productivity and their creativity, and promote entrepreneurship and technological advancement.

“It plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress, and improves income distribution. Education leads to an improvement in the quality of life, and leads to broad social benefits to individual and the society at large,” she said.

A New Africa

The billionaire also stressed the need for African nations to partner with private investors, in order to deliver quality education to their people.

She noted that if education is prioritised, Africa has the potentials to overcome the challenges of underdevelopment and political instability among others.

“In order for Africa to move forward, there is need for African governments to invest in qualitative education at all levels, by partnering with private investors to bring about qualitative education.

“It’s about time we throw off the toga of backwardness and underdevelopment, and bring forth ideas and workable plans that will give birth to a new Africa, our Africa.

“One that is no longer defined by poverty, no longer defined by disease, no longer defined by political instability; but rather by inventions, scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements that will make us stand equal to other continents of the world,” she said.