Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Seyi Awolowo, has said Nigeria’s educational aspirations should have progressed beyond what he described as the “Akara and Kulikuli” stage, urging the country to focus on innovation and artificial intelligence instead of survival-driven thinking.
Awolowo, while appearing on Vanguard’s Nigeria Meter Podcast, said the world is rapidly advancing in artificial intelligence, with countries such as China and the United States competing for global leadership, while Nigeria has yet to establish its place in the innovation race.
According to him, businesses such as selling akara and kulikuli were once associated with petty traders, but the country’s educational and economic development should have created greater opportunities for people to aspire beyond them.
“KuliKuli and Akara, while I was growing up, were businesses for petty traders. There should have been an upgrade,” he said.
Awolowo questioned why Nigeria is still preoccupied with issues of basic survival at a time when other nations are investing heavily in cutting-edge technology.
