Abia Commissioner Highlights Need For Positive Youth Engagement

The Honourable Commissioner for Tertiary Education in Abia State, Prof. Uche Eme Uche has emphasized the importance of meaningful youth engagement as a veritable tool to achieving sustainable educational progress that responds to contemporary realities.

Prof. Uche stated this while delivering her speech as the state marks the 2026 International Day of Education.

Prof. Uche highlighted ongoing reforms in the state’s tertiary education sector, including improved funding, renovation of facilities, staff recruitment, and strengthened academic standards.

She called for greater youth involvement in building a responsive, inclusive, and future-ready education system.

The event, held under the theme “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education,” brought together government officials, education stakeholders, students, and development partners to reaffirm the critical role of young people in shaping educational development.

Also speaking at the event, the Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Dr. Christopher Okoro, stressed that genuine youth co-creation is indispensable to building a sustainable and forward-looking education system. He described young people as critical partners in development whose insights and energy must be harnessed to achieve meaningful and lasting reforms in the sector.

Delivering the keynote, Prof. Regina Ogbonna described the International Day of Education as a global observance aimed at promoting education as a fundamental human right and a vital public good for peace and sustainable development. She called for youth inclusion to go beyond consultative processes, advocating genuine partnerships where young people actively participate in designing education solutions.