Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says it has become imperative for Africa to develop an education curriculum relevant to the changing world and available jobs.
Mr Osinbajo expressed this view on Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya, while featuring as a panellist at a forum with the theme, “Africa in the World: Multiple Assets.’’
According to him, there is a need to have a clarity of vision on where Africa is headed in terms of education.
He said there was a need to give Africa’s young people a sense that there was a future and that promises could be made and delivered.
The vice president said that education was about youth demographics who studied abroad or locally and those who need to be educated, mainly women.
Mr Osinbajo said it was vital to understand the necessary educational programmes and put them in place based on several demographics.
“The final point is that we are in a new place where the world has changed so dramatically and particularly in the past 10 years, where we have robotic, artificial intelligence; what sort of education makes sense to create job opportunities today?
“This is the time to think through the educational curriculum and to decide how this curriculum will be relevant and would deliver the sort of persons that we want to deliver and create the sort of opportunities that we require for the jobs that will be available,’’ he said.
Mr Osinbajo also spoke on the future of Africa concerning the creative industry, which he said had been adjudged to exist without the government.
“It possibly happened because there was no government; so, I think that in many ways, what is important is to see how the creative industry can be supported.
“Firstly, entertainment, it is evident that there is a huge amount of talent, and it’s evident also that the regulatory environment favours it because there are no impediments.
“And one would say that, as much as possible, what we should seek to do is to see how we can expand that space and to support with credit where that is possible and infrastructure that will be helpful.’’
He said that in Nigeria, the National Theatre had a few studios for films, entertainment and others and had shown great promise in supporting the industry.
The vice president participated in the session alongside Donald Kaberuka, AU special envoy and former president of the African Development Bank and Hafou Toure, Deputy Director of Cabinet for the Minister in charge of promoting Small and Medium Enterprises in Côte d’Ivoire.
Mr Kaberuka complimented Mr Osinbajo for his contributions to Nigeria’s development.
(NAN)
