Education Key To Economic Dev – Banigo

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has said that education is the key to every level of economic development.
Banigo stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 18th International Annual General Meeting and National Camp of the Association of Methodist Brigade in Port Harcourt.
Represented by her Special Assistant on Legal Matters, Barrister Ishmael Blue-Jack, Banigo said the negative way in which education has been portrayed in the country was responsible for the stalled economic development being witnessed.
“The way education has been portrayed has also been one of the major issues stalling our economic development. In Nigeria, parents force their children to seek white collar jobs because they have always believed that this is the way to economic empowerment”, she stressed.
She said that the topic, “Education and Entrepreneurship: Key to Economic Emancipation”, was apt and timely but regretted that a lot of youth do not understand the intricacies of economics, finance and nation-building, which according to her, go hand in gloves.
The deputy governor said the future of any nation or state rests on the shoulders of the youth, who she described as the leaders of tomorrow.
“The Bible admonishes that we should bring up a child the way he should go so that when he grows up, he would not depart from it”, she said.
Banigo, who once served as president of the Boys Brigade of Nigeria, Rivers State branch and matron of the Girls Brigade from 1996-1999, said the problems faced by youth have grown in proportion since then, as they were now exposed to cult practices, illicit drugs and other related crimes.
The deputy governor said in a bid to make the state investor-friendly, the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Rivers State Government has “taken into special consideration, the economic future of the communities and our policies are particularly geared towards the establishment of small and medium scale enterprise (SMES)”.
Banigo, who urged youth to always strive for excellence, commended the organizers of the conference for choosing Port Harcourt to host such a dynamic gathering.
Earlier in his address, the National President, Association of Methodist Brigade, Rt. Rev. Gboyega Ohu said the theme of the conference, “God’s Word: My Guide” was what is needed at this time to ignite a positive change in the polity and administration of the nation.
She noted that as a body saddled with the responsibility of training youth in the church to impact and benefit society, it was also their duty to teach them the principles of Godliness.