The Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubakar, has advocated the need for alumni associations to help shape policies in the education sector.

He said this could be done by leveraging their real-world experiences to call for practical curriculum updates.

He made the call at the mega reunion of Government Army Day Secondary School, Bida Old Students Association on Saturday in Bida.

The event was also used to mark the school’s 45th anniversary.

The reunion drew former students of the school from various parts of the country to celebrate and chart a way forward for their alma mater.

This became imperative due to the poor condition of the school, especially in the areas of infrastructure, teaching and learning aid.

Etsu Nupe, who expressed sadness over the decay in public schools, said if nothing urgent was done, the country would not achieve any meaningful development.

Represented by a traditional title holder, (Mayaki Nupe), Aliyu Yahaya Aliyu, the Etsu Nupe said that public education, especially at the basic and secondary levels must be prevented from total collapse.

The principal of the school, Tuaheed Sarki, highlighted areas the alumni could urgently look into.

The President of the Government Army Day Secondary School Bida Old Students Association, Dr Hakeem Adebalogun, explained that it was imperative to give back to their schools because the government alone could no longer shoulder the responsibility of quality education.

Some of the former students, including Col. Alhassan Mohammed Majin, the Head Boy of the 1993 set and Erelu Rashidat Abdulsalam of the 1988 class, promised to always support the school in the interest of the younger ones.

A member of the 1986 set and regional manager, AEDC, Mamudu Ndadama, while donating money to pupils who performed well during a debate, said efforts would be intensified to give back to the college.

A communications scholar, Dr Ibrahim Dooba, stressed the need for schools to plant trees to preserve the environment.

Awards were presented to former and serving teachers of the school.

(NAN)