By IfeanyiChukwu Afuba
Between the demands of office as Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Bende federal constituency advocate, Benjamin Kalu’s other preoccupation tends to revolve on aiding the cause of education in the country. From various indicators, Hon Benjamin Kalu counts among those who regard education as a prized, local and national industry. It’s not just by the quality time, resources and regularity with which he attends to the sector. There’s a noticeable level of consistency in the pursuit, a tone of engagement that can only flow from passion.
He recently shared a touching insight. “I was born in Bende when the southeast was beginning to rise from the abyss of the civil war. War does not only take lives; it steals the light of learning, leaving behind ruins where schools should stand. My primary school classroom was under the shade of a tree. We had no blackboards, no desks, no digital tools, only the will to learn and the belief that knowledge could be our escape from limitations.”
On Thursday, March 27, 2025, the Senate approved two educational bills sponsored by Hon Benjamin Kalu for third reading. The bills are for the establishment of Federal University of Medical & Health Sciences and Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State. The proposed institutions are conceived to fill geographical and professional gaps in educational development. From locational perspective, both Abia and Akwa Ibom States would form the immediate catchment zone, given the borderline of the site area. In potentially addressing the lack of tertiary institution in the area, Kalu’s initiative also fits into Abia State’s development agenda as being among the first three states in academic performance in the country. With focus on producing teachers for primary schools, the foundational level of formal learning, the importance of a (federal) College of Education easily stands out. Similarly, the cliche “a healthy nation is a wealthy nation”, bespeaks the value of a medical science institution. Kalu explains further in Leadership newspaper, March 27, 2025. “Specialised medical universities have become very important in Nigeria as there is increasing demand for medical and health professionals, especially now that the country keeps losing her trained medical and health personnel to other countries.”
In 2024, Kalu co – sponsored the University of Nigerian Languages (Establishment) Bill. The draft legislation legislation seeks to upgrade the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, to a full – fledged university. The proposal comes against the backdrop of the institute’s perceived limitations. The Deputy Speaker identifies unharnessed potentials of the institution arising from it’s present structure as necessitating transition to a university. “We want to upgrade it to a point where it can build capacity, train more people and be a reference point.” In seeking to raise the standard of the institution, proponents of the Bill are mindful of the role of culture, notably, language, in civilisation. It should be added that for a culturally diverse society such as ours, the nuances of language identity could both be preserved and at the same time blended into a mosaic of national treasures.
Additionally, the interest in restructuring NINLAN is to provide it with stronger financial base. Presently, the institution struggles with modest subvention and internal receipts. By extant law and regulations, educational agencies such as NINLAN cannot benefit from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. However, conversion to full academic status would avail her of this needed supplementary funds towards optimum performance. And so, with abiding interest in realising high educational standards, it’s little surprise that Hon Benjamin Kalu is weighing a need to expand the Fund’s mandate. It’s his considered view that “specialised institutions of higher learning and inter university centres” ought to access Tetfund. Perhaps, the representative who has hinted of exploring amendment to the Act, may want to see how debate on the subject goes first.
A second tenure representative, education receives it’s fair share of attention in the lawmaker’s past constituency projects. From the 2019 first term to date, construction of school buildings, classroom blocks and award of scholarships have featured in the constituency outreach. Commencing a thank you tour for his 2023 reelection, in August 2024, Kalu announced a new batch of scholarships. At his Bende ward, three secondary school girls who were in the welcoming train, received sponsorship up to university level. The gesture was subsequently extended to the ward. All indigent students are eligible to participate in the scheme which covers tuition from nursery to university. “I will start it up with N10m. You will form a committee that will manage it. The money should be used to pay school fees for these kids”, Kalu told members of his ward at a reception.
An alumnus of University of Calabar, it was not surprising that Benjamin Okezie Kalu was approached to play two pivotal roles at the institution’s 50th anniversary and 37th convocation. He was requested to be the guest lecturer at the contemporaneous 37th convocation. Perhaps, that was a straightforward matter. It largely boiled down to competence; basically dissecting the chosen topic as food for thought. And making out time to attend the event personally. But seeking the Deputy Speaker’s assistance toward project fund raising was a bit more complicated.
With a troubled economy gnawing at people’s purchasing power, many Nigerians and indeed, institutions keep looking for support to stay afloat. Politicians, or more correctly, people in top positions of government have been at receiving end of pleas for financial assistance. The situation poses a bit of dilemma for some in government. The notion that people in high public offices have lots of money to play with is a generalisation. The impression that top government functionaries are preoccupied with making money, though popular, is speculative. However problematic the subject of public donations for public officers, many consider it reasonable to make exceptions in cases of education and health. The Deputy Speaker opted to support the university ‘s N1.6b convocation arena and event centre project.
Accompanied by many lawyers, mostly from his 1998 class to the March 19 – 21, 2025, events, Kalu relished the programme as a homecoming. He emphasized in his lecture the call to “sustain this citadel of learning. It needs our attention as private individuals to come back and add value. I urge all “malabites” to remember Unical that formed our character.” Making out time to feel the pulse of the less privileged, Kalu visited the Infant Jesus Orphanage, Calabar, where he awarded scholarship to 12 year old twins, Chidera Maduka and Emmanuel Maduka. The lucky duo, who won university scholarships, struck the presiding officer’s soft spot when they said they cherished education and expressed intention to study law. The Orphanage got richer by N4m through a personal N2 donation by Kalu and another N2m from members of the entourage which included some members of the House of Representatives.
The need for greater funding of education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. Over the years, educational resources have been stretched to bare points even as learning technologies evolve at a fast pace. Investment in public education has not matched the rapid rise in the number of school enrollment. University undergraduates today will not believe that in the 1980s, students resided in campus hostels three persons to a room and had reasonable meals at the refectory for 50 kobo. Today, facilities are so overstretched with the result that they frequently break down. At secondary school level, managers have a nightmare trying to run boarding system, for obvious economic reasons. Yet, this was the system many generations used to achieve discipline and academic success in schools. What is more, wider access to quality education will take roaming youths away from crime, thus, dealing a blow to insecurity in the country. In the circumstance, the contributions of people like Benjamin Kalu to the cause of education are laudable.
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Image: Benjamin Kalu website
