By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) have called for collective action to restore the academic standards and boarding-school experience of Federal Government Colleges across the country.
USOSA President-General, Michael Magaji, made the call at the 50th Anniversary Plenary and Annual General Meeting of the association in Abuja on Saturday.
Magaji said that the meeting with the theme, “Over 60 Years of Unity Schools: Preserving National Unity and Reimagining Education for Nigeria’s Future” provided the association with the opportunity to reflect on achievements and strengthen its contribution to the education sector.
Magaji said the association had grown into a national network connecting alumni of Federal Unity Colleges, with an expanding presence in Nigerian cities and among Nigerians in the diaspora.
He called on members to become more involved in education governance and national development, stressing that the benefits they received from the unity schools came with a responsibility to give back.
“Show me your education and I will tell you the kind of country you have. All of us have been privileged to come from this very rich background that has produced great alumni.
“It is time for us to consolidate this position and become more actively involved in the governance of education and of this country,” he said.
Magaji said USOSA had strengthened engagement with alumni in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States to harness their professional experience, networks and resources for the country’s education system.
He also said that the association had partnered with BudgIT, a civic organisation focused on public finance and budget transparency, to monitor expenditure and promote accountability in Federal Unity Colleges.
He said the association’s relevance should ultimately be measured by its impact on members and the schools.
The USOSA president-general urged alumni to use their shared experiences to promote national cohesion and help address challenges facing the education sector.
In a keynote address, Mr George Uriesi, Managing Director of Ibom Air, said the association should lead efforts to revive the standards that once distinguished the colleges.
Uriesi, who recalled the quality of education and national integration fostered by the schools, expressed concern that overcrowding and other challenges had weakened their educational environment.
He said the schools were established to bring young Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and geographical backgrounds together, fostering friendships and understanding from an early age.
According to him, the experience helped students appreciate the country’s diversity and prepared them to contribute to national development.
“The standard of education we received was.to say the least, world-class.
“But what was very important to me was the exposure I got to the different people of Nigeria at the age of 11, for the first time away from the direct supervision of my parents,” he said.
Uriesi said the decline had also affected the confidence of some alumni who hoped to enrol their children in the same schools they attended.
He urged USOSA to adopt a comprehensive strategy for restoring the colleges rather than concentrating on individual institutions.
“USOSA has to take the lead. Don’t focus on fixing Federal Government College (FGC) Warri or FGC Sokoto alone. Let’s fix the Unity Schools.
“Let’s return them to the standards they were known for when this initiative began.
“In the next 20 years, we should be able to look around this room and see that we have made a difference for the generations coming behind us,” he said.
He also called for a long-term plan to measure the association’s impact over the next two decades and ensure that future generations enjoyed quality education and the national exposure that shaped earlier students.
Earlier, the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, represented by Maj.-Gen. Garba Abdullahi, urged the alumni to deploy their influence, experience and resources to improve education and strengthen national unity.
Musa described USOSA as a strategic national asset, noting that the unity schools had, for more than six decades, brought together young Nigerians from diverse backgrounds.
He said national security was closely linked to human capital development and the quality of education available to young people.
“You did not just receive an education; you received a masterclass in coexistence. From a defence and security perspective, the bond you share is the ultimate shield against divisiveness.
“You are living proof that our diversity is not a point of vulnerability but our greatest collective strength,” he said.
The minister urged the association to champion national cohesion, promote innovation and establish endowment funds to support the sustainable development of the colleges.
He said such funds could help finance and maintain laboratories, libraries, hostels and other essential facilities, reducing the schools’ dependence on strained government budgets. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Philip Yatai
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