Sanusi II: Education is a Right, Not Privilege, at Miva Open University Graduation

Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, the Sarkin Kano, stressed the fundamental importance of education as a right, not a privilege, at the maiden convocation of Miva Open University in Lagos. He asserted that restricting access to quality education hinders both individual potential and national development.

During the ceremony, 1,212 graduates, including 970 postgraduate and 242 undergraduate students, received their degrees. Sanusi, who has pursued higher education multiple times himself, including economics and Islamic studies, highlighted that learning should be a lifelong pursuit for self-improvement.

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Education is not a meal ticket. Education is about yourself. You study because you want to improve yourself and become a better person.

He lauded Miva Open University for its innovative approach, particularly its development of a homegrown learning management system and AI-driven tools. Sanusi dismissed concerns about the quality of online education, stating that academic excellence hinges on the integrity and rigor of the learning process, not physical location or infrastructure.

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If there is one silver bullet that addresses many of our developmental challenges, it is educating the girl child.

"Quality is not a function of geography, rigor is not a function of architecture, and excellence does not require sitting in a particular building in a particular city," he declared. Sanusi also emphasized the transformative power of educating the girl child, linking it to improvements in maternal health, child mortality, and poverty reduction.

Addressing the graduates, Sanusi acknowledged the challenging labor market but urged them to be proactive creators of opportunities rather than passive applicants. He commended Miva for embracing AI technology, positioning it ahead of many global institutions still debating its implications.

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Quality is not a function of geography, rigour is not a function of architecture, and excellence does not require sitting in a particular building in a particular city.