By IDONGESIT AKPAN, Uyo

A Multi-stakeholders involvement is required to bridge the gaps inherent in the Akwa Ibom State education sector, according Mr Udom Inoyo, a former Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria.

“Although Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government is addressing the challenges aggressively, government alone cannot develop the sector,” said Inoyo to a gathering during the Lutheran Church of Nigeria National Convention/University fundraising launching he chaired.

“As some of you know, in the last 15 years, we have through the platform of Inoyo Toro Foundation invested over 500 million naira of private funds in the education sector of this state; building the capacity of over two thousand secondary school teachers and mentoring over three thousand students,” he disclosed.

Inoyo, therefore, commended the Lutheran Church of Nigeria for the initiative in launching a private university project in the State, urging them to ensure the reality of the vision.

He expressed happiness for the planned visit by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to inspect the facilities of the proposed university in the middle of next year for eventual approval of the university.

He appealed to the Church to exhibit “the type of sacrifice our forebears made to establish Lutheran High School, Obot Idim 72 years ago, which has produced top military generals, academics and business gurus.”

Inoyo advised the Church not to deny children of the parishioners access to the university due to high tuition fees, when the university takes off as it was done by some faith based universities in Nigeria.