•Says Enugu primed to serve as diaspora innovation hub
The governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has said his administration was poised to establish two new universities as part of efforts to entrench the state as a knowledge centre and diaspora innovation hub.
The governor stated this at the launch of Diaspora Bridge Platform, a digital innovation for connecting Nigerian professionals in the diaspora with local tertiary institutions for collaboration in research, teaching, innovation, and capacity building at State House in Abuja yesterday.
The platform seeks to leverage on the expertise of Nigerians abroad to promote national development goals in education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEM-M).
Governor Mbah added that apart from the ongoing construction of 260 Smart Green Schools that would take off in September, his administration had consistently dedicated over 33 per cent of the state’s budget to education, aware that human capital remained the true measure of the wealth of any nation.
“Enugu State is ready to host and lead diaspora collaborations. In addition to expanding our seven public tertiary institutions, we are establishing two new universities soon – the Enugu State University of Education and Technology, ESUET, and the Enugu State University of Agriculture and Technology, ESUAT.
“Because innovation is the language of the 21st Century, we are also establishing eight Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, colleges across Enugu State, one in each federal constituency.
“Our vigorous investment in innovation in Enugu State tertiary institutions is intended to complement our modest effort to reform our pre-tertiary Basic, TVET, and senior secondary education system, drive innovation, and leverage Artificial Intelligence, Simulation, and Virtual and Augmented Reality to ensure applied learning in ways that exceed the milestones of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
“Through our Center for Experiential Learning and Innovation, CELI, we are making skill development the focus of our education transformation. We are talking about foundational, life, digital, and job-specific skills for industry, innovation, technology, science, and medicine.
‘’When you think STEM-with Double MM (STEMM), think of Enugu State, come to Enugu State, give Enugu State a chance,” Mbah stated.
He commended the federal ministry of education for the Diaspora Bridge initiative to leverage Nigeria’s diaspora communities, describing education as “the single most important sector upon which our nation’s socio-economic fate depends.”
He extolled the initiative as answer to “an urgent call to reconnect global expertise with local purpose.”
The governor stated further: “For years, our understanding of the role of the Nigerian diaspora has mostly been via the basic economic lens of their remittances.
“Seldom do we also contemplate how to galvanise their support towards causes with more enduring ends, beyond medical outreaches that are often few and far between.
“Our various diaspora communities across the world represent Nigeria’s most critical human resource. What has been lacking is a formal platform where their expertise and collective financial clout could be wholesomely tapped.
“Today, we take the important first step towards that goal under the banner of the Diaspora Bridge, convened by the visionary Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.’’
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