A technology professional and human capital development advocate, Charles Obinna Eze, says Nigeria’s 20 million out-of-school population is a big threat to the country’s socioeconomic development.

Eze noted that when access to basic education was impossible, communities are opened to various challenges, notable among which are crimes and exploitations.

Speaking at the launch of his empowerment foundation, christened: “Charles Eze Development, CED Foundation, in Abuja at the weekend, the entrepreneur explained that human and social capital development inspired him to start the foundation.

“I have seen firsthand and know that some of us have witnessed the devastating effects of socio-capital infrastructure and its impact on having access to education, and healthcare, and how it promotes child labour and exploitation, youth restiveness, and involvement in social vices. This experience inspired me to launch a mission toward solving these problems through,”he explained.

Speaking further on why he established the foundation,Eze,who have worked globally in various sectors such as energy,oil and gas, telecommunication, engineering, automotive and higher education,said:”I believe that when we develop our youths, our society has less of crime, youth restivenes and social vices.”

He said:”A recent report by UNESCO has shown there are approximately 20 million out-of-school in Nigeria and this accounts for 20 percent of our entire population. This is a big threat to every one of us here because when access to basic education is not possible, it opens up our communities to various challenges, crime, and exploitation.

“Consider the unemployment rate in Nigeria today, especially among the youth and university graduates, this is a threat to our economy and socioeconomic development. These are some of the smartest and most talented young people on earth who can help drive our economic growth through entrepreneurship and technology innovation.”

The entrepreneur,who holds a Post Graduate Degree in Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning from the University of Texas, said the launch of the founding was the realisation of the passion he had since his teenage years about human and socio-capital development.

“Growing up, I always envisioned how kids around me would grow up to become what they wished. For some, this dream came to pass, while others could not make it beyond elementary education due to poverty, I watched some become orphaned at an early stage of life, or even lose their lives to hit-and-run vehicles while hawking for their parents or guardians to raise their school fees.

“As an undergraduate and a young lecturer in tertiary institutions, I witnessed the challenges some students face to pay their school fees, and how nonpayment or late payment impacts their academic progress. A similar situation applies to students from low-income and middle-income families enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in Nigeria today” he recalled.

Eze said his vision for the CED Foundation “is to leverage it to empower the next generation of leaders through human and socio-economic development.”

” I am committed to raising leaders who become champions of community development, economic growth drivers, and human rights advocates.

“My aim is to raise leader who become champions of economic development, people that would promote good environment for us and become economic drivers”, he emphasized.

The foundation’s programmes, he explained, “are built around child education, health awareness, technology innovation, human rights advocacy and environmental sustainability.

” These are programs that are tailored towards helping to develop the youths  in our society and we will establish partnership with businesses at micro level and urban cities to make sure that our youths are equipped with skills after secondary schools and even into the universities.

“That way, we have our graduates from the university also equipped to face the challenges,”he added.

Source: Vanguard