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By Tunde Uchegbuo
Education has the power to reshape societies and foster a more informed citizenry. It empowers individuals with knowledge and critical thinking skills that drive social mobility and reduce inequality.
The chairperson of the Global Education Monitoring Report Advisory Board, Jutta Urpilainen, highlighted the transformative power of education, as well as the devastating consequences when it is denied. Her assertion reaffirms that education is the foundation upon which all other progress depends.
Sadly, a United Nations report showed that 272 million children and youth were out of school as of 2023. Similarly, the World Bank in one of its reports revealed that nine in 10 children lack basic reading comprehension in sub-Saharan Africa. This is even as studies have affirmed that illiteracy could have profound and far-reaching impact on society.
Relying on these statistics, the value of helping a child go to school can better be imagined against the backdrop of the UNESCO report that an estimated 171 million people could escape extreme poverty if they acquired basic reading skills alone. The report added that if all adults completed secondary education, it could cut the global poverty rate by more than half.
Ironically, many cannot seek education because they cannot afford the cost. To this effect, Joshua Maciver’s benevolence and commitment to uplifting others becomes exemplary and commendable. Through payment for books, school fees, and other sundry levies, the All Progressives Congress deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State has eased financial burden on many students across all the levels of education in Bayelsa State and beyond.
His support has given hope, instilled self-assurance, and motivated even the weakest to strive for excellence and he does this without fanfare. To many, including his course mates at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Joshua Maciver is a beacon of hope and a demonstration of transformative leadership.
Uchegbuo, a public affairs analyst, sent in this piece from Port Harcourt
