Abuad and airline boss call for education reforms

According to Punch, the Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, and the Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, have called for reforms in the Nigerian education system. They made this call during the university convocation lecture in Ado Ekiti.

Okonkwo stated that functional education must keep pace with changing societal needs and prepare students for life after school. He urged universities to design curricula around practical competencies, problem solving, and critical thinking. He also called for collaboration between universities, industries, and government to meet labour market needs. Okonkwo suggested that the National Universities Commission should focus more on graduate capabilities rather than curriculum content alone.

Babalola commended these recommendations during his remarks at the event. He noted that the Federal Government needs to review the university curriculum to match real life needs after graduation. Babalola also expressed concern about the approval process for private universities, stating that current regulations might undermine educational quality.