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SOYINKA: Nigeria’s education sector in ‘horrifying’ state

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Nigerian playwright and Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Sunday described education in Nigeria as horrifying.

Soyinka, who spoke at the University of Lagos, Akoka, during the presentation of a play, ‘Folly of Men,’ added that Nigeria was in serious trouble.

The play, which was a reworked copy of three plays: Wole Soyinka’s ‘Trial of Brother Jero;’ Femi Osofisan’s ‘No More the Wasted Breed;’ and Bode Sowande’s ‘Mamiwater’s Wedding,’ was staged as part of activities commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Government College, Ibadan (GCI).

At the event, Soyinka, Osofisan and Sowande, who were old students of the college, were given different awards, along with Dr Christopher Kolade, and the late T.M. Aluko.

When journalists engaged him, Soyinka decried the state of Nigeria’s education sector.

He said, “We are in serious trouble, education wise in this country. Let me not kid you; it’s horrifying. That was why I was happy about the initiative of creating a model school and trying to resurrect this Government College and present it as the ideal. We are really very low, education wise.

“I have learnt how much they (old students association) have done in the last few days and I am very proud of their work. I just hope the government leaves them alone; don’t interfere with them. Let them bring back to everybody’s mind the possibility of what education can be.”

Osofisan also speaking said, “What pains us now is that the school (Government College Ibadan) could produce people of worth before, but the whole thing has gone down now. We are hoping that this help generate new impetus and action about the school and education.”

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The GCI Old Boys Association, Dr Wale Babalakin, at the event noted that the college had fallen into disrepair.

He said his group had in the last one year spent more than N500 million to renovate the school’s structures.

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