The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Professor Tunji Olaopa, has called for greater support for education, emphasizing that the government alone cannot address the challenges facing the sector.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the 80th Fundraising Dinner for Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo, where he served as the event chairman, Olaopa highlighted the need for collective efforts to develop education infrastructure.
He acknowledged the historic significance of Olivet Baptist High School, established in 1945, and its enduring legacy despite the struggles of public schools across Nigeria. “To have been established in 1945 and still retain some measure of its old glory, given the lamentable state of public schools in Nigeria, is no small achievement,” he said. Reflecting on the impact the school had on its alumni, he urged old students to give back to the institution.
Olaopa also noted that the challenges facing Olivet were representative of broader issues in the country’s education sector, including inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, underfunding, and teacher shortages. He pointed out that many teachers in public schools are sustained by Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), with the government only beginning to formalize their recruitment.
“It is unhelpful to keep blaming the government,” Olaopa remarked. “What the times require is for all hands to be on deck, even as the need for policy innovation and creativity on the government’s part remains critical.”
He commended Dr. Wale Okediran and his team for rallying alumni and stakeholders to support the school’s development. He encouraged all attendees, including guests, well-wishers, and old students, to contribute generously to the 80th-anniversary fundraising effort.
“I assure you that every kobo contributed will be justifiably and accountably utilized to restore the glory of Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo,” he concluded.
