Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was in Awka, Anambra State,  yesterday for the 5th  Zik Lecture Series organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

He was the chairman of the event and ended up talking about how education brought him out of penury.

“It is education that took me from a small village in Adamawa to the position that I have attained today and helped me to make modest contributions that I have made so far to our country and humanity. I could not have gone to school if my parents were to pay for it and that is why I strongly believe that primary and secondary education should be free and compulsory in our country and indeed across Africa. He said

“That way, every child gets to acquire basic education to help them improve their lives and help us produce an enlightened citizenry. That is how it is in the countries we look up to as models of development.

He added “What education has done for me and my commitment to it is the reason why my biggest philanthropic endeavor has been in the field of education. In the educational village that I established in Yola, our focus is not just providing students with high quality education from kindergarten to university, we are also focused on providing them with the skills to become leaders in their various communities and countries.”