Kwara Commissioner Advocates University Education for Poverty Reduction

On Friday, Dr. Lawal Olohungbeb, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education, urged Nigerians to embrace university education as a crucial strategy for poverty reduction and national development. Speaking at the second matriculation lecture of the African School of Economics in Abuja, he stated that no country can sustain poverty reduction without investing in higher education.

Olohungbeb emphasized that universities should evolve beyond personal advancement and become drivers of economic growth and poverty eradication. He identified several factors limiting the impact of university education, including curriculum mismatches with labor market needs, underfunded research, and weak academia-industry linkages.

He also advised students to embrace financial literacy to avoid unnecessary debt and to build professional networks. The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, noted that the institution focuses on holistic human capacity development, combining academic, technical, and entrepreneurial training.

The event included the administration of matriculation oaths and recognition of outstanding students.