The disparity in quality of education especially Universal Basic Education between Lagos in the South West and Cross River in the South South of Nigeria has been traceable to a handful of factors NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
According to Hon. Wahab Alawiye King the Lagos state SUBEB chairman, the difference between Lagos SUBEB and the other SUBEBs across the state is leadership. King observed that commitment, passion, determination, integrity, capacity, truth etc are components of this leadership distinction.
King who doubles as the Dean SUBEB Chairmen of Nigeria made this disclosure early this week while on an official visit to Calabar the Cross River capital where he addressed a section of the press.
His words, ‘What is working for us in Lagos state is leadership. And when I talk about leadership it means commitment, passion, the determination of the leaders to transform the sector. That is one. The second thing is capacity of the government, do they have the capacity? Do they have the integrity to do what they are doing? Are they saying the truth? Are they sincere about what they are saying? Are they really serious about what they are saying?
‘To measure how any government is doing, you look at the way they have invested in education. Before now what international organisations and development economists used to measure how well a state, country is fairing is per capita income… They divide the Gross Domestic Products by the population, whatever outcome they get determine whether that country is doing well or not.
‘Lately, what they are using is Human Capital Development Index. And that measures so many things: access to education, how do you enhance access into your education? Equity in education, quality and standards, these are some of the KPIs measures, integrity, access and quality, these are some of the measures we use to know whether your education is doing great or not.’
Hon King stressed that ‘In order for you to make your basic education to be globally competitive, there must be an enhancement in equity, access, and quality. These are some of the things you use as KPIs’, he concluded.
Lagos has been maintaining free education at the basic education level for decades until now, the quality of teachers and facilities for education and by implication education stands the state SUBEB out amongst others in the country.
