The Trinity International College, Ofada, Ogun State, on Friday marked its 30th anniversary with a lecture on Nigeria’s educational future and the importance of culture-driven learning reforms.

The guest lecturer and Vice Chancellor, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo State, Prof. Lanre Olaniyan, said there was a need to improve speaking of indigenous languages.

The anniversary had the theme, “Re-Imagining Education for a New Generation: Strategies Engendering Lifelong Learners.”

Mr Olaniyan said that children who maintained indigenous languages developed stronger cognitive roots, cultural appreciation and emotional grounding necessary for healthy personal development.

He urged parents to give their children native names.

According to the professor,  names communicate history, values and belonging.

He added that local identity remained central to national pride.

He noted that China and some other  nations taught in their native languages to preserve culture, strengthen identity and help students to learn faster through familiar symbols, expressions and communal meanings.

He said, “We must go back and begin to embrace our indigenous languages, right from the home, teach our children these essential carriers of wisdom, identity and moral guidance, and uphold them as first languages rather than treat them with shame.”

He added that embracing cultural identity would not conflict with modernisation, saying that strong nations grew by balancing global advancement with deliberate preservation of local traditions and inherited societal values.

The lecturer emphasised the relevance of cultural expressions such as native attire, greetings and moral teachings, saying that losing them would weaken communal bonds and deprive young citizens of character-shaping values needed for responsible adulthood.

He also highlighted the importance of native cuisines, saying that foods such as bean cake (Akara) must retain their indigenous names because renaming them would gradually disconnect generations from their historical culinary identity.

He encouraged students to be curious about their origins, advising them to learn the stories, struggles and wisdom of their ancestors.

He urged schools to integrate cultural education into learning plans, saying that heritage and identity would strengthen confidence, empower creativity and guide national progress in an increasingly competitive world.

He called for collective responsibility among parents, teachers and leaders to protect culture while embracing technology to ensure that Nigeria would build an educated, confident and culturally-rooted generation.

On modern learning, the vice-chancellor said that modern classrooms required digital skills to prepare students for global competitiveness and emerging economic opportunities.

He said that educators could no longer rely on traditional methods alone, emphasising that technology integration must become central to teaching if schools must meet evolving learning needs.

According to him, technology supports efficiency, experimentation and innovation while a digitally-empowered teacher becomes better equipped to guide students through complex subjects and real-world problem-solving strategies.

In his remarks, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Trinity Group, Samuel Olatunji, described the increase in the  number of out-of-school children as a tragedy.

He warned that leaving even one child behind could destroy potential and distort destinies.

Mr Olatunji said that such neglect would weaken national competitiveness, limit human capacity, and undermine overall quality of life across communities.

He stated, “It is a tragic setback to have even one child out of school because it diminishes his value, limits his choices and disrupts his destiny.

“When the number of out-of-school children rises into hundreds and thousands, the damage is severe, weakening competitiveness, shrinking national potential, reducing quality of life, and threatening development across every sector.”

He urged stronger commitment from governments, parents and larger society to safeguard Nigeria’s collective development.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to long-serving teachers. 

(NAN)