We must prepare our youths for future through education Osinbajo
(Nigeria) The future of Nigerian and regional institutions like the
West African Examinations Council, WAEC, will depend on how well they embrace
technological innovations and their ability to reinvent themselves, says Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this yesterday in Abuja while formally
declaring open the 70th Annual Council Meeting of WAEC. Nigeria is hosting the
body's landmark Annual Council Meeting - its Platinum Anniversary.
Highlighting key areas, the examination body could prepare
better and innovate for the future, Prof. Osinbajo noted that "Critical
thinking, creativity, imagination, problem solving skills, and collaboration,
are essential skills that young people need to be competitive and prepared for
life and work in a global economy."
Urging the body to design its curriculum further to test for
and support these core skills, Prof. Osinbajo advised that "the Africa
that WAEC must prepare our children for" should be one "that will
need world-class young people who have strong interpersonal, innovative,
entrepreneurial, critical and creative thinking skills amongst others."
While the Vice President noted that “WAEC has shown through
the years that it has the capacity and dynamism to evolve and remain
relevant" in an ever-changing world, he emphasized the need to embrace
more innovation across board.
Pointing out to major significant changes in work-life
balance, business, and the global economy in the 21st century, the VP observed
that “with amazing advances in technology, talent is more mobile, and there is
greater competition for well trained, innovative and resourceful Human
Resources. The twenty-first-century economy requires a different skill sets -
problem solving and innovation are key requirements."
“It is clear that the future of all our institutions
including WAEC will depend on how well they embrace technological innovations
and their ability to reinvent themselves in this ever-changing world. WAEC has
shown through the years that it has the capacity and dynamism to evolve and
remain relevant.”
Acknowledging WAEC's contributions beyond being an
examination body, the Vice President noted that the body has in the last 70
years contributed to the "promotion of sustainable human resource
development, the integration and cooperation among West African States.
"Currently, more than 90% of educated adults in the
English-speaking West African countries are products of WAEC, one way or the
other.
"In these past seventy years, WAEC has faced its
challenges, forthrightly, resolving issues of exam malpractice and evolving
steadily and confidently into a more technology-driven organisation. With seventy years behind us, it is now time
to begin to prepare for the next 70 years. It is clear that these coming
decades will come with vastly different challenges and opportunities."
The VP then pointed out some key areas that he noted, would
present new challenges and opportunities for innovation.
"The first is the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA
and the second is curriculum, teaching and examination relevant to the 21st
century needs. A third issue is the role of technology in the work of
WAEC," he noted.
On using the adoption of the AfCFTA as a model for future
improvements, the VP pointed out that "there is room for greater reach and
expansion for regional organisations like WAEC, just following the trail of
AFCTA."
According to him,
"with the AfCFTA, our continent is evolving right before our eyes. AfCFTA,
which is an ambitious trade pact to form one of the world’s largest free trade
area by connecting almost 1.3 billion people across all 54 African countries,
aims to create a single market for goods and services in order to deepen the
economic integration of Africa."
He further stated
that it was crucial that “WAEC must continually embrace Technology, there is no
option today. And we must commend WAEC for the technological innovations it has
implemented so far, which include biometric verifications, online registration,
computer-based tests (CBT), etc. However, we can and must go further.
"A key aspect of technological advancement in
examinations WAEC must commit to implementing is Online Examinations, which
speaks to exams conducted remotely on a computer with high-speed
internet," he said.
According to the VP, this will "reduce the current
overall logistics cost, break geographic barriers, thereby enabling a wider
reach and participation, and further curb the menace of examination
malpractices through AI-based proctoring technology," among other positives.
Other technological
innovation WAEC should take note of, the VP stated is On-Screen Marking,
otherwise called Digital Evaluation - a method of marking paper-based candidate
responses using a computer.”
On behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian
Government, the Vice President then reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support
for the Council, and extended felicitations, to delegates from the other four
member countries of WAEC – Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia – who
attended the ceremony virtually.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Hon.
Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba stated that the Council’s decision to host the landmark
meeting in Abuja was “a confirmation of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
Administration’s resolve the make education the building block of development
and we are leaving no stone unturned to provide, not only qualitative, but
affordable education to our people.”
Similarly, the Chairman of the Council (WAEC), Prof. Ato
Essuman (who participated and gave his remarks virtually), thanked the Vice
President and the Nigerian government for attending the occasion, describing it
as "a great honour done the WAEC family."
According to Prof. Essuman, the Council "is fortunate
to have Nigeria in its membership. Nigeria is a dependable backbone to provide
strength and stability for the entire family. I am glad to disclose to this
august gathering that Nigeria has performed its role creditably in the
sustenance of the Council."
Other dignitaries present at the ceremony were the Minister
of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare; Registrar/Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), WAEC, Gambia’s Pateh Bah; the Chief Federal Government nominee
of WAEC, who is also the Director, Senior Secondary Education, Federal Ministry
of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir; and the Chief government nominees of
Ghana, Sierra Leone; among others.
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