File: A cross-section of students writing an exam

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and President of the Bridge Club, Abdulhakeem Mustapha, says the country’s education sector needs more funding for citizens and the nation to become developed.

Speaking at the club’s fifth annual retreat held at the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, Mustapha said, “This is our fifth annual retreat, and as we’ve been doing this for the past five years; we X-ray the Nigerian economy to see the opportunities available and how we can exploit that for the benefits of individuals and all members of our club.

“Bridge Club is an assemblage of Nigerians who are very passionate about Nigeria. Most of us are technocrats, our members are successful in their various individual endeavours, and we believe in the Nigerian project.

“We came together to discuss the issues affecting the country, and see how we can impact our society. This time, we picked education. Education is a very important tool for development; it is an important sector that needs intervention.

“The sector needs more funding, and the Federal Government’s funding for education is not enough, hence, we’re doing our best to salvage the situation.”

Speaking further, Mustapha said although the current state of the country’s economy was worrisome, the club was optimistic that there could be an improvement.

Also, the Chairman of the Bridge Club’s Organizing Committee, Luqman Balogun, said, “This is our fifth annual retreat, and this time, it comes with a difference.

“Our previous retreats had always been a one-day event, and this year is the first time that we all came into a resort to deliberate on what we can do to add value to the nation, our families, and ourselves.”