Why Nigeria needs more educational entrepreneurs
In a nation like ours, where education – precisely, quality education – is not very common, it goes without saying that solid, well-established school are sorely needed. There are quite a number of good public schools, thankfully, just as there are numerous excellent private ones as well. The good private ones have the good fortune […]
In a nation like ours, where education – precisely, quality education – is not very common, it goes without saying that solid, well-established school are sorely needed. There are quite a number of good public schools, thankfully, just as there are numerous excellent private ones as well. The good private ones have the good fortune of having solid beginnings under the guidance of committed proprietors and administrators. It goes without saying that educational entrepreneurs are responsible for the success of private schools, as it helps for such people to have a sound management approach.
One of the examples I’ll use here, and because it is the one I’m most familiar with, is one of a man called Alhaji Sagir Hamidu Gusau, who is not just an entrepreneur, but has proven to have a drive for providing functional education. His establishment in Abuja is doing just that, while keeping to internationally-accepted educational standards.
For a region like Northern Nigeria, such is much-needed, as he must have carefully studied the obstacles standing in the way of Northern Nigeria, and therefore doing his part in seeing to it that there is a solid go at catching up with its contemporaries in the highly competitive world of today.
But what makes the Sarkin Rafin Gusau different from other prominent Northerners passionate about promoting intellectualism? What legacy is he set to leave on the sands of time by sustaining the tempo of promoting modern educational standards? I might have a few answers here: The fact that he has been quietly doing the right thing for the advancement of the society without any chest-beating says a lot about him. I have a feeling that even this article would make him squirm, testament to the modest individual that he is.
Gusau’s passion for promoting education as the ladder for purposeful development is not a common one, as the average Nigerian entrepreneur would rather pump money where immediate financial gain is guaranteed. The average Nigerian entrepreneur may not mind travelling around Europe for fun, but whenever Sagir does that, be sure it’s for business and the results will be ploughed back into educational development and charity projects.
He also makes it clear why more committed educational entrepreneurs are badly needed in the country today, as the benefits of having several more like himself cannot be easily enumerated. It is obvious that at the pace he is going, he is determined to make his mark on the sands of time, not just as an entrepreneur, but the type eager to give back to the society. His philosophy is clear to all those familiar with it: ‘From where you take, leave something worth remembering.’ The true reflection of Gusau is his milk of human kindness, which has also made him a bridge-builder, and therefore I am using this medium to tell him a big ‘Thank you!’
Rikiji, a schoolteacher, wrote in from Wuse II, Abuja.