Education and skills development would headline a two-day Agbaja 2925 Summit, billed for November in Enugu State, its organisers have said.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Prof Chike Anibeze, told reporters in Enugu that the idea was chosen following the realisation that “Education, as currently structured, is producing graduates who often lack practical skills”.
He stated that theoretical knowledge without hands-on experience was inadequate in today’s fast-changing world.
“The 2025 summit will therefore focus squarely on education and skills development -linking ancestral wisdom with modern training to prepare our people for a competitive future,” he said.
The summit, the second under the auspices of Agbaja Leaders of Thought (ALT), an umbrella organisation that binds Udi, Ezeagu, and surrounding areas across five local governments in Enugu State, had in the past produced 12 thematic development areas designed to uplift the living standards of the people in the area.
Anibeze stated that part of the benefits of the first summit was the “donor-identified funding projects”, where benefactors directly sponsored scholarships, school infrastructure, and learning resources in the area.
“As Chairman of the Education Committee, I personally attended the commissioning of over ten major education projects across Agbaja communities – in Anikwe, Abia, Iwollo, Olo, Obioma and others. Along the way, we discovered a troubling reality: many primary school children lacked basic learning materials like sandals and backpacks.
“This discovery gave rise to the 2022 Agbaja declaration: ‘No Agbaja pupil will henceforth go to school without sandals and a school bag.’ This simple but powerful resolution has restored dignity to our children and given them confidence to pursue their studies”, he stated.
He stated that the first summit has continued to yield returns, as daughters and sons of Agbaja are contributing to the area’s development, adding that “Agbaja Leaders of Thought has successfully returned us on the path of prosperity.”
He added that experts would lead conversations, workshops, and hands-on sessions on the first day of the hybrid colloquium, focusing on education and skills development. Meanwhile, cultural festivities, masquerades, dance, food, and attire would showcase the richness of Agbaja identity on the second day.
However, the leaders regretted the ecological challenges faced by the Agbaja land following years of coal mining and the inability to cover the mines after exploration adequately.
They stated they are on the verge of tracking the various mining routes to escalate them for federal and state governments support for adequate closure to starve off untoward incidents.
Anibeze stated that, despite the challenges posed by ecology, the area has continued to attract investors due to its natural resources, adding that it is open for investment.
