Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) have announced plans to collaborate on a student exchange initiative.
This was disclosed over the weekend when Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSF), welcomed the Mayor of London Borough of Southwark, Michael Situ, and his staff on a working visit to discuss opportunities for collaboration in the initiative.
“Education for all is a responsibility for all.”
“For us, we want to do everything possible to ensure that our citizens at all levels are well educated believing in its efficacy to emancipate people and make them contribute, positively, to societal development,” she said.
The HoSF, speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office (CMO), Mr. Adeleye Adeoye, praised the Mayor for prioritising secondary school children as beneficiaries of the Nigeria-United Kingdom exchange scheme.
“Because they are the future of the Service, nurturing them at that stage will ease their transition into the public sector, in future. We need to get our children back to school to get quality education, in order to contribute favourably to the growth and development of our dear country,” she said.
She informed her visitors that the first pillar of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP-25) prioritises human resource development and talent management, and that learning is an ongoing adventure.
Speaking earlier, Mayor Situ indicated that one of the goals of the visit is to discover areas of collaboration on both sides of the continents and to find ways for both countries to benefit mutually.
He offered a summary of the initiative, stating that education cuts across all aspects of public service and is supplied by the government at all levels.
“If you have an educated workforce, you will have a productive workforce, a thriving economy, thriving communities and a thriving society, as well,” he said.
He discussed how schools in the London Borough of Southwark underwent years of transformation to become some of the most sought-after schools in the United Kingdom.
He stated that the tour is critical to understanding Nigeria’s education scene and how both countries can share best practices, ultimately adding value for both sides.
Dr. AbdulGaniyu Obatoyinbo, Administrator/CEO of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), praised the Mayor for keeping his word, fulfilling his pledge to visit Nigeria, and making the country proud.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, represented by Dr. Lydia Giginna, Director of Studies and Learning, PSIN, Mr. Tunde Adeniran, PSIN Consultant, Mrs. Bola Thomas, and Director in the Office of the HoSF, Mr. Adebayo Odejimi, were all in attendance.
The Mayor’s entourage included his Senior Adviser on Education, Mr. David Bromfield, among others.