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The Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) has called for renewed collaboration between government and alumni networks to restore the lost glory of Unity Colleges while also strengthening the education system.
Speaking during the 46th Plenary of the association in Abuja on Saturday, Mr Michael Magaji, President-General of USOSA, underscored the immense role Unity Schools once played in shaping Nigeria’s social and professional landscape.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 46th plenary has the theme: “Politics and Governance, USOSA’S Role in the Nigeria Project “.
Magaji lamented that over the years, vision of the institution had been tested.
“There’s been deterioration in quality, infrastructure and even pedagogy.
“Teachers’ welfare and training are major challenges and the link between education and employability has weakened,” he observed.
Magaji emphasised that alumni associations have a moral and patriotic duty to step in where government efforts have faltered.
“Taxpayers invested so much in our education. It’s now time to give back through resources, talent, and active participation in national development.
“We must also be in the political and governance space if we are to influence real change.
“We can’t build a strong nation without sound minds. Education and health are the twin pillars of any prosperous society.
“Our mission as alumni is to ensure that Unity Schools once again become models of learning excellence and good governance,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Uyi Akpata, Chairman of the USOSA Board of Trustees and former President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, shared similar sentiments, describing the renewed alumni movement as both “timely and necessary.”
“We need to re-energise, rethink and retool what this nation is all about.
“Unity Schools were designed to bring Nigerians together and that spirit must not be lost, “Akpata said.
According to him, alumni intervention should go beyond rebuilding classrooms. It must include active engagement in governance and policy development at both national and sub-national levels.
“We must create a governance structure that integrates the Ministry of Education, the Federal Government and Unity School alumni bodies.
“Such collaboration will ensure transparency, accountability and sustainability in school administration,” he added.
Akpata further drew attention to examples from other African nations noting that in Rwanda, public schools now outperform private schools.
He stated that there was no reason Nigeria could not achieve the same, especially with technology-driven education policies already gaining traction.
In a keynote speech, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, former Minister of Health, described the Unity School project as “one of the most visionary investments ever made by the Nigerian government.”
He, however, warned that Nigeria’s current challenges extend beyond education, but rooted deeply in the erosion of trust among citizens.
“The greatest challenge facing Nigeria today is a trust deficit.
“We have lost confidence in one another. Without restoring mutual trust and faith in our shared destiny, nation-building will remain elusive,” he said.
He urged leaders and alumni alike to model integrity and accountability, insisting that Nigerians are willing followers when they trust their leaders. (NAN)
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