The Governor of Enugu State His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah on Saturday 18th November 2023 said that his government will be allocating 30% of the 2024 budget to education which is above International benchmark.
He made the statement during the Convocation ceremony of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). He reminded the people about the plans of the state government to contribute hugely to education as a tool necessary to bring enlightenment.
Before the governorship election, he made a promise that if elected as the Executive Governor of Enugu State, he would grow the G.D.P of the state from $4 billion to $30 billion with education envisaged as the enabler. He mentioned it again during his speech in the convocation ceremony as he demonstrated consistency.
He talked about setting a pace of 21st century type of education which involves equipping the schools with the right equipment and ensuring that every child in the remote part of Enugu has access to quality education.
In his full speech, he said”
I delivered a keynote speech earlier today at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Agbani, Enugu State.
During my presentation, I underscored the importance of quality education while also congratulating the 9,017 graduands who received various first and higher degrees.
Education remains our greatest weapon in the war against poverty. Under my leadership, the Enugu State educational system will witness radical changes.
We have prioritised basic education. When we envisaged growing our GDP from the current levels of $4.4 billion to $30 billion by 2031, we placed education at the epicentre of our strategy.
We have designed a revolutionary strategy which is currently being implemented. The idea is to revamp the current educational system in Enugu State, from the basic schools through secondary to tertiary institutions such as ESUT.
We are tweaking the curricula to ensure that the poorest child in the remotest part of Enugu State receives world-class education using tools of the 21st century.
To this end, we have earmarked 30 per cent of our state budget for education in 2024, which exceeds the recommended international benchmark.
Interestingly, we have completed the construction of one smart school, awarded contract for the construction of nine others, while 250 more will be constructed in less than 14 months to cover the entire 260 wards across the state. In addition, teachers who will pilot the affairs of the model schools are currently being trained by global experts.
The smart schools will be sufficiently equipped with internet access, solar power, a centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, a modern ICT centre, two well-equipped laboratories for primary school and junior secondary school, a studio for creative production, 25 inclusive classrooms, with interactive digital whiteboards, android tablets for pupils’ use, among others.
Our dream for Enugu State educational system is one that would outlive us. That foundation is what we are laying now, and we’re hopeful that posterity will benefit from it.
I commend the ESUT management for the good work being done in the institution and for inviting me to deliver a keynote speech on a day like this”.