I recently came across an interview granted by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, and after listening carefully, I quietly walked into my room and thanked God for the foresight of the past leaders of my tribe.
As a Yoruba man, one thing I have come to appreciate deeply is the importance our forefathers placed on education. They understood early enough that a society without knowledge is like a traveler walking through a thick forest at night without a lamp. No matter how fast he runs, he is still surrounded by darkness.
Sometimes, I pause and ask myself: what would life have looked like if I had not been privileged to receive formal education? The thought alone is frightening. I cannot imagine myself being unable to read, write, or confidently express my thoughts. That realization is one of the major reasons I laboured tirelessly to ensure my children received quality education and attended some of the best schools in the world.
There is hardly anything that can be compared to Western education in today’s world. Education is not merely about certificates or degrees hanging on the wall like decorative ornaments; it is about enlightenment, exposure, discipline, and the ability to think beyond immediate circumstances.
As the Yoruba would say, “Iwe kì í tan ni lójú,” meaning education never loses its value. Money can disappear overnight, political power can vanish with the next election cycle, and material possessions can be taken away, but knowledge remains an asset no one can easily steal.
This is why Mr. Ola Olukoyede has impressed me greatly. He has shown that leadership is not only about occupying an office or wielding authority, but also about having the wisdom to connect problems with practical solutions.
His recent revelation about suggesting the use of recovered looted funds to finance NELFund is both innovative and commendable.
Here is his advice to his boss, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu:
“I said, Sir, I have some money in my recovery account. Why don’t you invest it in NELFund?” – Olukoyede
According to Olukoyede, he approached the President and pointed out a painful reality: many young Nigerians involved in cybercrime were not naturally criminals, but victims of economic hardship and lack of opportunity.
Like a thirsty man drinking from a poisoned well because he has no clean alternative, many of these young people drifted into crime because they could not afford to fund their education.
His suggestion was simple yet profound—redirect recovered proceeds of corruption into educational funding. In essence, let stolen public funds be converted into a tool for national redemption.
President Tinubu reportedly approved the proposal, allocating fifty billion naira to NELFund and another fifty billion naira to the Credit Corporation.
The result has been remarkable. Within just one year, NELFund has reportedly helped over 1.3 million students pay their tuition fees. That is not just a statistic; it represents dreams rescued, futures protected, and families relieved.
I followed the NELFund programme closely and monitored its activities online. To the best of my knowledge, this remains one of the most impactful initiatives introduced in Nigeria in recent times.
If for this reason alone, President Tinubu has earned my vote.
Nigeria’s greatest challenge today is not merely poverty or insecurity, but a deficit of knowledge. The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge,” while the Holy Quran emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge, even if it requires traveling to distant lands.
I was especially delighted to hear that schools in Northern Nigeria are among the highest beneficiaries of the programme. This is encouraging.
However, the government must not abandon this noble initiative to poor monitoring. Funds must be properly tracked to prevent diversion or re-looting by beneficiary institutions.
For once, there appears to be some level of continuity in our educational system. Academic calendars are running with fewer disruptions, and prolonged strikes are gradually becoming less frequent.
Yorubas will never forget leaders like Chief Awolowo and the five governors of the Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic, who introduced free and compulsory education in the South West.
The AD governors, led by the then Governor of the South West, continued where Awolowo stopped.
Governors like Dr. Olusegun Mimiko also built on the foundations laid by their predecessors.
They are our heroes for building schools instead of building alcoholic factories and naming them HERO.
The current governors in the South West should take a cue from what is happening in other regions now: if you are a leader and refuse to educate the children of the masses under your care, when their untrained children grow up, they will not allow your own children to enjoy their lives.
Education remains the strongest weapon against ignorance, poverty, and corruption. A nation that invests in its students is ultimately investing in its own future.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola, Publisher of The Street Journal Newspaper, writes from Ibadan.
