Education Is Nigeria’s Sharpest Weapon Against Poverty, says Minister

By Usman Aliyu

The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, has described education as Nigeria’s most strategic tool for breaking poverty and driving sustainable development.

made the claim on Friday while delivering the 23rd convocation lecture of Igbinedion University, Okada.
The lecture was titled, “The Nexus Between Education and National Prosperity in a Transformative Economy.”

The minister insisted that education remained a transformative force capable of reshaping lives, strengthening communities, and advancing societies.

He emphasised that no developing nation could achieve inclusive growth without deliberate investment in education.

The guest lecturer urged Nigeria to urgently strengthen technical and vocational learning, noting, “we must shift from purely theoretical learning to a skills-based approach.
“Technical and vocational education is the global engine of productivity and opportunity.”

called on the graduating class to become agents of national renewal, maintaining that their education placed them at the forefront of solving Nigeria’s development challenges.
Earlier in his opening address, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice-Chancellor of the university, had reaffirmed the central role of education in powering Nigeria’s economic transformation.
According to him, education is the country’s strongest pathway to innovation, productivity and long-term prosperity.

He stated that Nigeria was undergoing a period of profound economic change and only a robust, knowledge-driven workforce could sustain the momentum.

The vice-chancellor stressed that the theme of the lecture mirrored the realities confronting the nation.
He described the convocation lecture as more than a ceremonial tradition, but an important platform for the university to interrogate national challenges and shape progressive thinking.

“Convocation lectures serve as a pivotal intellectual platform, a forum where we transcend the boundaries of conventional learning to confront and contemplate the pressing issues of our time.

“The theme chosen for this year’s lecture is both timely and profoundly relevant.

“As a nation, Nigeria is navigating a period of significant economic transformation and the role of education in this journey cannot be overstated.

“Contemporary research consistently affirms that education is not merely a social good but a powerful catalyst for economic prosperity and social progress,” he said.

Oh his part, Mr Patrick Felix Egloff, Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, shared how education shaped Switzerland’s national development trajectory.

He described education as the foundation of the country’s global competitiveness.