AASU president urges greater investment in education across Africa

The newly elected President of the All Africa Students Union (AASU), Comrade Osisiogu Enyinnaya, has called on governments across the continent to significantly increase investments in education, describing the sector as the foundation for Africa’s development.

Comrade Enyinnaya – who becomes the first Nigerian to lead AASU since its establishment in the early 1970s – made the appeal when he led a delegation of newly elected union officials on a courtesy visit to Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia.

The Abia-born AASU president said he drew inspiration from Governor Otti’s record in the education sector during his campaign for the continental position. He cited the administration’s reforms, infrastructure investments and plans to introduce specialised courses such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence at the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.

“I am aware of very ambitious investments in education infrastructure. Abia is set to lead others by offering courses like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, even at Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic,” he said.

Comrade Enyinnaya added that he campaigned on a commitment to push for stronger education funding across Africa, noting that Abia’s progress positioned him to speak confidently at global and continental platforms.

“I come from a state where government will provide accommodation for nearly 20,000 students in next year’s budget; a state where the administration is committed to relocating Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic to its permanent site and advancing development in Abia State University,” he said.

He thanked Governor Otti for the administration’s achievements over the last 30 months, saying they contributed to his election victory across 43 African countries.

“In all the 43 countries I visited during the campaign, I proudly stated that I come from a state preparing to invest over $150 million in education next year,” he said.

Receiving the delegation, Governor Otti reaffirmed that his administration remains committed to implementing its education-focused manifesto.

He described education as “the fulcrum of societal development,” stressing that Abia’s aggressive push in the sector was deliberate and anchored on long-term economic transformation. The governor reiterated that the state has allocated 20% of its budget to education in the last two years.

“When we removed school fees, our aim was to democratise education and provide equal opportunity for children from all backgrounds,” he said. “Education is the most important industry—it feeds every other industry.”

Otti also recalled his recent visit to Abia State University, Uturu, where he found hostel facilities in deplorable condition and immediately ordered intervention works.

He congratulated the AASU president and urged the new leadership to stay committed to the values that earned them the confidence of African students. He pledged full support for Comrade Enyinnaya throughout his tenure.