“Education Is Nation-Building – John Momoh Declares, Urges Renewed Investment In Teachers”

According to Ireporter Online, the Chief Executive Officer of Channels Media Group, Mr. John Momoh, has emphasized that improving teachers’ welfare is essential to achieving meaningful education reforms in Nigeria. Speaking during the 170th Anniversary Lecture of Baptist Academy, Lagos, themed “Bridging the Gap – Restoring Trust Between Schools, Government and Society,” Momoh underscored that no nation can expect quality education when its teachers remain undervalued and underpaid.

He called for deliberate investment in teacher training, incentives for rural service, and continuous professional development anchored on merit and integrity. According to him, rebuilding trust in the education sector requires a renewed social contract between the government, educators, parents, alumni, and the private sector, stressing the need to restore the dignity of the teaching profession.

“We cannot continue to demand excellence from classrooms where morale is broken and salaries are uncertain. We must invest in teachers — in their training, motivation, and professional growth,” Momoh stated. He described education as the truest form of nation-building, adding that every classroom rebuilt and every teacher empowered contributes to national renewal.

Momoh urged alumni associations to play an active role in educational advancement by adopting schools, renovating facilities, providing solar power, and equipping libraries and ICT laboratories. Such interventions, he noted, would demonstrate that education is not solely the government’s responsibility but a shared national duty.

President of the Baptist Academy Old Students Association (BAOSA), Olumide Ajomale, remarked that the anniversary was an opportunity for reflection, gratitude, and renewed commitment to the institution’s founding ideals of truth and excellence. He encouraged alumni to continue supporting the school’s development as it marks 170 years of academic distinction since its establishment in 1855.

Chairman of BAOSA’s Board of Trustees, Chief Kesington Adebutu, announced a ₦50 million donation to the BAOSA Infrastructural Development Fund (B-IDC). He noted that the education received at Baptist Academy had shaped the character and leadership qualities of its alumni, enabling them to make meaningful contributions to society.