During the fourth African Education Conference titled 'Reconstructing for Inclusivity and Purpose' held in Lagos, the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) called upon the Nigerian government to revamp the education system to address the country's challenges effectively.

Mr. Orji Emmanuel, the National President of AFED, emphasized the need to reconstruct education to be more purposeful and problem-solving.

He pointed out that despite Nigeria's existence for over 60 years, the current education system fails to meet the nation's needs and solve its problems. Emmanuel stressed the importance of inclusivity and aligning the educational curriculum with real-world workplace demands. He urged for a tailor-made approach to education that serves the specific needs and purposes of the Nigerian society.

Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, a former Special Adviser on Education to the Ogun State government, also echoed the call for functional education. She stated that functional education should equip learners with the necessary skills and knowledge required to excel in 21st-century job opportunities.

“It involves how every child can be developed not only in academics but his/her interactions, and other skills and we should also look at every stakeholder, what training are we giving the 21st-century teacher, how are we taking care of their parents because not all the teachers around have the training needed for this alpha generation.”

She also called for a review of the curriculum even up to the tertiary level.

Also speaking, Head of Programmes, DAWN Commission, Abiodun Oladipo, said he hoped to see more collaborations among school owners in the South-West States.

Dr James Fadokun of Partnership for Learning for All In Nigeria, also insisted that there was a need to retool the curriculum with digital literacy.

Mrs Scholastica Abass who represented the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State government had contributed to the development of education in the state.