Delegates from Bayelsa State higher education student loan board recently arrived Ghana for a five-day tour to understudy the country’s Student’s Loan Scheme (SLS).
The five delegates from Bayelsa State of Nigeria would have several engagements with the leadership and management of the Ghanaians Students’ Loan Scheme to share mode of operations, best practices, exchange ideas and experiences.
The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has called on African leaders to look at ways of promoting development initiatives that would turn the fortunes of their people, especially the marginalised, around.
He explained that with the current state of development and global development trends, it is prudent for people in leadership positions in Africa look at introducing interventions that can change the lives of their people.
Michael Ameagberi, the executive secretary of the Bayelsa State Higher Education Student Loan Board, who also is the leader of the delegation, said, Bayelsa State started operating a student loan scheme three years ago and decided to knock on the doors of Ghana which has enormous experience when it comes to Students Loan management.
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Ameagberi explained that the state’s students’ loan scheme currently is managing about 5,000 students, stating that, the experiences from Ghana would go a long way to help improve the knowledge and how to improve on the operationalisation of the loan scheme of the Bayelsa State which according to him would soon be adopted by other Nigerian universities.
Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Ghana minister of education while receiving the Nigerian delegates called on African leaders to look at ways of promoting development initiatives that would turn the fortunes of their people, especially the marginalised, around.
He explained that with the current state of development and global development trends, it is very wise and necessary for people in leadership positions especially in Africa to seek ways of introducing interventions that can change the lives of their people.
Adutwum, charged African leaders to strive to increase Gross Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (GTER) since it is crucial for the development of every country.
He stated that if a country is able to increase its GTER, it would create an opportunity for a large number of the youth who would be ready to work towards the transformation and industrialisation of that country.
“There are better days ahead for African countries but there is the need for all to work towards putting in place the right measures and policies towards changing the narrative for Africans,” Adutwum said.
The Ghanaian education minister promised to partner with the Bayelsa State Higher Education to ensure exchange of ideas, shared experiences and best practices between both parties.
Ameagberi praised the Ghanaian leader for the good policies he is rolling out in the country’s education sector to improve the lives of the people.
The leader of the delegates from Bayelsa State was positive that the visit to Ghana would help them gain an insight into the country’s experience in the Student Loans Scheme among other good education initiatives that are worth emulating by other countries.
