Nigeria’s former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was in Cotonou yesterday where he urged countries in Africa to provide quality education to ensure peace and tolerance in the continent. He stressed that the low level of education in Northeastern part of Nigeria caused the Boko Haram insurgency currently being suffered by the region.
Speaking at the ongoing International Symposium for the launching of African Initiative for education, peace and development, Obasanjo noted that without education, no peace effort would yield any positive result. He lamented that most of the intolerant sections of the African society were illiterate.
He buttressed his position by citing an example with the lingering Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, which he said the worse hit part of the country – North East geo-political zone, was the least educated. He posited that the insurgents were able to penetrate the region due to level of education in the area.
In comparing the level of literacy between the geopolitical zones in Nigeria, the former president stated that while the South West, as at 2010, had 77.9 per cent of literacy, South East achieved 66.66.8 and the North East had only 18.1 per cent.
As regards the literacy level among women within same period, Obasanjo said the South West had achieved 79.9 per cent; South East, 69.6 per cent and North East only 15.4 per cent.
He said the South West, which was the most educated region, was more tolerant, peaceful and developed section of the country.
Obasanjo consequently called on participants at the symposium to find solution to the lingering crises in parts of Africa, be it political, religious or cultural, even as he urged traditional, religious and political leaders to establish organisations to train youths on crafts. This he said will make them become self-sufficient and prevent them from joining terror gangs.
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