BusinessDay Media (Nigeria) Limited, West-Africa’s most authoritative financial/business publication in association with Nigeria LNG Limited, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Sidmach Technologies Limited present the much awaited BusinessDay Education Summit on November 28th, 2017 at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos to drive conversation on education that will prepare Nigerians for the digital economy.
This has become more urgent given that Nigeria’s population is expected to hit 450 million people by 2050 to become the third most populous nation in the world, ahead of the United States of America, trailing behind China and India in a rapidly changing global context. Of Nigeria’s over 182 million people, 49.79 percent are between 0 – 14 years old and 15 – 24-year-old comprise 19.48 percent, making Nigeria a very young population. A robust, relevant educational system is needed to transform this huge youth bulge into human capital.
However, the educational system appears to be ill-equipping most of this youthful population to hold their ground in a global labour market that is becoming more competitive and challenging. Africa’s most populous nation ranked 25 out 26 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) human capital optimisation index for Africa, coming in only before Chad, a country that has been destabilised by civil unrest since 2008.
The World Economic Forum’s Human Capital Index, which measures the extent to which countries and economies optimize their human capital through education and skills development and its deployment throughout the life-course, finds that Sub-Saharan Africa, on average, currently only captures 55 percent of its full human capital potential, compared to a global average of 65 percent, ranging from 67 to 63 percent in Mauritius, Ghana and South Africa, to only 49 to 44 percent in Mali, Nigeria and Chad.
To make education work for Nigerian youth, BusinessDay is bringing together the finest minds in the education sector: policymakers, seasoned educationists, employers of labour and commercial private education investors to highlight what the challenges are and formulate very clear 21
st Century solutions.
In attendance will be, Professor Anthony Anwuka, Minister of State for education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, former minister of education, Professor Pai Obanya, Former Chairman, Board of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, Special Adviser to the Lagos state Governor on education and Mr Seni Sulyman, CEO of Andela among others.
This Education Summit is one of a kind and BusinessDay is bringing to bear its market position as a mouthpiece of the organized private sector to make this happen. The Summit brings together seasoned educationists, curriculum developers, and captains of industry, policymakers, parents, education managers, minister of education and state commissioners of education, researchers and consultants, entrepreneurs with training programmes, representatives of education funds and the general public.
It is free to the public and would also provide a platform for the exhibition of educational products, as well as networking opportunities.
For Participation, Sponsorship and Exhibition opportunities, please contact Adaobi on 08034265411 or email: adaobi.agabaza@businessdayonline.com or register using the link; www.businessdayonline.com/conferences/register-edusum2017/.
