The Federal Government through the ministry of education, on Tuesday, inaugurated an eight-man committee tasked with the mandate to drive government-industry-academic nexus as well as global competitiveness of the nation’s educational system, among others.

Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, Tahir Mammam, the minister of education, stated the commitment of President Tinubu-led administration to ensuring that the 10.5 million Nigerian out-of-school children are retrained in skills that will make them stand on their own.

“As Nigeria looks towards having quality education, it is important that the curriculum, from basic to tertiary level meets the demands of our times and needs of society. I am happy to note that work has commenced at some level, especially the secondary and tertiary levels. What we need to know is to what extent have we met contemporary demands of education globally and if not sufficient, how to address them.

“We will, therefore, need a clear roadmap and framework that will guide the ministry to achieve these goals.

“I do expect that issues of financial autonomy in tertiary institutions, access and equity, research and innovation as well as the government-industry-academic nexus would occupy your thoughts. In the same vein, the global competitiveness of our educational system should not escape your scrutiny,” he said.

The minister, speaking further, noted that the vision of the present administration was anchored on improving the lives of Nigerians in a manner that reflect humanity and encourage compassion towards one another as well as reward collective efforts to resolve the social ills bedeviling the nation.

“To achieve this vision, we must necessarily harness our human resources. But before we harness our human resources, we need to be sure of what we need to do to fill in the gaps that have, over the years, inexplicably pulled us back.

“One thing I must not fail to add is that we must have an education system that embraces technology and move into a digital future where our education responds to the demands of society. We need to move away from education for its sake but to education for the development not only of the individual but most importantly for the society we live in,” he said.

The members of the committee include Nuru Yakubu, chairman, Ernest Ojukwu, member, Sa’ad Umar, member, Shulamite Paul, member, Garba Ibrahim, member, Hindatu Abdullahi, member, Ismail Junaidu, member and Joseph Achede, Secretary.

Mammam said the event marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s pursuit of educational excellence and societal development, while highlighting the urgency of their mission, he emphasised the need for clear direction to transform Nigeria’s fortunes.