By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Hajia Salamatu Suleiman, a former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, has applauded the Queens College Old Girls Association (QCOGA) for embarking on fundraising project, describing it as a ‘give back’.
Suleiman gave the commendation at a Fundraising Gala and Awards/Launch Night organised by the QCOGA held on Sunday.
She expressed gladness over the spirit of cooperation and understanding among members of the QCOGA and Management of the college founded Oct.10, 1927.
According to her, no country can progress without good education.
“Part of the tasks that the fundraising committee and executive members have started is to engage critical stakeholders realising that the government cannot fund education alone.
” I commend the collective efforts of QCOGA for putting up this wonderful initiative for the improvement of education in this college.
“The Chairperson of QCOGA has said that good governance structure has been put in place so the funds are going to be managed well.
“I, therefore, urge us to contribute and also bring on board various contacts,” she added.
Suleiman, now ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, encouraged members to leverage their contacts, attract investment in education, especially for the benefit of the girl child.
“God has placed us in good places for a reason”.
“We are working in big corporations, we are serving in big companies, we have contacts and associates who are highly placed individuals.
“Let us use our contacts to raise even half of the endowment fund amount.
“We must remember that we were given a very great opportunity to receive world class education at very little or no cost to us, which has generated leaders from far and wide, home and abroad,” she added.
Speaking, Mr Kashim Ibrahim, President, King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), described the endowment fund launch as the best way to mark the College’s 95th anniversary.
Ibrahim who said that Kings College (KC) and Queens College (QC) are the oldest Federal Government Colleges, noted that Kings College is 113 years old while Queens College is 95 years old.
According to him, it is timely that the old students are coming together now to rescue their institutions as similar activity has been done repeatedly at KC Lagos.
“The truth is no institution can develop without the necessary infrastructure in place.
“I’m happy that the QCOGA has come together to launch this endowment fund and we will continue to support them.
“All the infrastructure in both institutions have over the years decayed.
“The ones in KC are so old that UNESCO designated it as heritage site, so, you can imagine structures dating back to 100 years, they need maintenance.
“In most cases we need to reconstruct some of the structures that are dilapidated, this is applicable to both KC and QC; now it behoves the old students to rise to the challenge.
“Besides, we are actually giving something back to these Colleges, so I am impressed with this step by QCOGA which will create an enabling environment for learning, for scholarship,” he added.
The KCOBA President who supported the project with a personal donation of N10 million and another N10 million on behalf of the old boys association, pointed out that QC needs computers, science laboratories, classrooms and additional hostels.
He also solicited for new sites for noth colleges as the QC site in Yaba, and KC at Onikan, which have been there for more than 100 years, were overstretched.
“When we were in school, we were just 500, today KC has a population of about 4,000 students, using the same facilities. So you can understand why it’s absolutely necessary for the girls to launch this endowment fund,” he added.
Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, President of QCOGA, enjoined government and stakeholders to join hands with the association by supporting the continuous growth and development of Queens College, Lagos (QCL).
Omoigui-Okauru, expressed gratitude for the education and exposure acquired from QCL in their time, a benefit which she said the current generation now lacked; hence the fundraising aimed at bridging the gap.
“We are launching today, the first step toward achieving our N500 billion target by starting with raising N10 billion endowment by 2029.
“We believe we can count on our members, our stakeholders and our networks to make this happen.
“As proud members of QCOGA, we are bound by a common heritage of having attended QC and acquired great education, which gave us the self confidence to aspire to accomplish our goals after leaving school.
“Therefore, as an association of one united body across ages and religions and borders, we consider it necessary to give back so that others too can have the benefit of even greater education”.
“One critical part of our goal is to establish the school as one with a N500 billion endowment fund to give the association the muscle to work with the Government to establish a school of excellence,” she added.
According to her, schools of excellence around the world use their endowment funds as benchmarks of excellence and to attract the best of the best for their colleges.
“For our critical needs, power, water, security and technology infrastructure are top priorities among others.
“Accordingly, we are calling on stakeholders to contribute to these immediate needs in cash or kind.
“I am emphasising the need for QCL, a government-owned secondary school founded in Oct.10, 1927, to come back to its glory days when it was the pace setter in all academic activities.
“We are no longer regarded as one of the top schools in Nigeria; our students are not as recognised as they were in the past in competitive work.
“Basics such as power, water, security and technology infrastructure are not in place, we hope with what we are doing now this will change,” she added.
Mr Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), said that education is the highest investment a nation can give to its citizens as studies have shown that the more people got educated, the more development comes.
Obi added that on the issue of the girl-child, it was important to create more interest and involvement of women in areas of governance and economy.
He urged everyone to participate in 2023 election and described it as an essential poll for Nigeria that will either bring a turn around in the nation or worsen the system.
“There is need to put more money in education, take affirmative actions and get more women in the things we are doing today and things will change, it’s doable and workable.
“I had over 50 per cent of women in my cabinet when I was Governor of Anambra State; from my Chief of Staff to my Deputy Governor, Head of Service, Accountant-General and so on.
“I say it without reservations that women are doing well and can do better if given opportunity at any level ;so, it’s important that we invest more on educating the girl-child,” he added.