28th October, 2017
Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday supported the adoption of robotics education in the country.
According to him, robotics education will not increase unemployment rate if fully embraced in the nearest future.
Obasanjo admitted that Nigeria is “far behind in terms of general education,” stressing that there is need to embrace robotics education for the country to reduce the gap in technological and scientific education obtainable in developed countries.
The former president spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during a two-day robotics workshop jointly organised by the United States Consulate General, Lagos and RoboRAVE International, a US-based robotics education academy at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The workshop held at OOPL, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, saw over 300 participating students drawn from five states of the federation.
Obasanjo said more jobs would be created if robotics education is well planned and embraced.
“Let me also comment on what has been the fears of the people. Here we have problem of unemployment and people will say we need to create mass employment opportunities for our people.
“If you start introducing Robotics education then you will deny people employment opportunities. It will not be so. What will normally happen is that there would be jobs that would emanate from Robotics. The jobs would compensate what Robotics will take over.
“We have seen that through history. When train came, people think there would be no way for road transportation. Same thing happened when railway came. People also thought when aeroplane came that railways and cars would not be useful. But, today roads are being constructed and we have not even done enough. Yet, airports are being built and enlarged.
“So, if we actually planned well, robots will have a place and other jobs will be created for our teeming population not only in Nigeria and Africa, but also all over the World,” he stated.
He urged the pupils to take advantage of the robotics education to better their future.
“Children, take it as a play but at the same time take it serious because the play of today is the pay of tomorrow. And while you are still young and manageable, unlike me, even now, I am not computer literate yet because I was BBC (Born Before Computer),” the former president said.
In his remarks, the United States Consul General in Nigeria, F. John Bray said robotics education would help the country in providing global partnerships and economic development. He said US was deeply committed to supporting the country’s economic development.
He said many developed countries have based their continued economic growth on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Bray stated that his government would continue to support education, adding: “This is is the beginning of our efforts to support robotics education in Nigeria”.
“The question I was asked in Lagos was ‘why is the United States supporting robotics education? How is this going to help Nigeria? As Acting Special Representative Thomas Debass said’ because robotics touches on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), it can capture the imagination of children and young adults around the world and provide a platform for global partnerships and economic development”
His words: “Children who receive STEM education via robotics training will be better prepared to solve real life problems with more creativity, critical thinking and effectiveness. These are the tools that they will need to compete effectively in the global economy”.
He charged the students “We know that around the world girls and women are under presented in both STEM and STEM careers. To the girls here, don’t give up. If this is your passion, pursue it”.
Bray disclosed that ROBORAVE would next year hold events in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan in order to expand access to robotics education.