Ex-NOUN VC: Govt must invest in education for development

WATS Provost, Dr Tosin Awolalu, presenting an award to one of the graduands during the convocation ceremony on Saturday

The former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, has said the development of a country is tied to its investment in education.

Jegede said this while delivering the 32nd convocation lecture of the West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS) on Saturday.

WATS is a non-denominational seminary founded by an American, Prof. Gary Maxey.

Speaking on the topic, ‘The Role of Technology Enhanced Learning in Improving Content and Context of Theological Education in Africa”, the former VC said any nation that does not give priority to education cannot attain any meaningful height.

Jegede said: “There is a clear and direct relationship between a country’s development, economic progress, and education offered to its people.

“Illiteracy, poverty, and low development indices have roots in low level of education. Today, more than ever, the main wealth source is knowledge. The global economy is being transformed from a material-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.”

While noting that education is the universally acclaimed propelling power of any development in any nation, he said “the thermometre to measure the development of any country is its education.”

Quoting two former world leaders, Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Paulo Freire, a Brazillian Marxist, Jegede added: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated. Education does not change the world. Education changes people, people change the world.”

He however noted that imparting knowledge is no longer done the old way, saying: “You need to research every day. The teacher must also realise that the attention span is no longer more than 30 minutes so the content and the delivery have to be interactive and up to date”

The former VC further urged the graduating students not to not rest on their oars, adding that their degrees only have about five years life span.

He stressed that graduating students need much more than the daily acquisition of knowledge to deal with all life issues.

Jegede, who said he built his own website by himself in 1995, highlighted the importance of technology, urging the WATS to embrace technology and deploy it for the emancipation of humanity.

He said all available technological tools should be used in learning, adding that any preacher of the gospel disdaining technology was living in the past.

He, however, hailed the founder of WATS, Prof. Gary Maxey, describing him as “an instrument of change who listens to God for direction”.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman Governing Council of the seminary, Dr. Emmanuel Oluwayemi, noted that the seminary has survived all odds till date.

He expressed confidence that the seminary has a great future, stressing that the graduating students were trained to serve and not to be served.

WATS founder, Prof Maxey, expressed similar view, adding that 2023 holds a lot of hope for the seminary.

No fewer than 66 students graduated from the theological institute of learning, including B.A. Theology (40), Postgraduate Dip. (4), M.A. Christian Leadership (5), M.A. Biblical Studies (3), M.A. Christian Education (4), M.A. Intercultural Studies (2), Master of Divinity (8), and Doctor of Ministry (1).

The Star