An educationist, Dr. Dennis Imafidon, over the weekend, called on President Bola Ahmed to lay emphasis on quality education rather than free education.
Imafidon, who is the director, Apex Olive College and Apex Tutor, Ile-Ife, Osun State, made the call  while speaking during the conferment of an honourary doctorate degree on him by Prowess University, Delaware, the United States of America at the ninth honourary induction and fifth investiture of Fellowship Award of Eccolerite Institute of Peace Advancement held at the Balogun Subomi Hall, University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Dr. Imafidon, who was conferred with a doctorate degree in Educational Management,  lamented low productivity of a large turnout of graduates in the country.
The educationist stated that the free education programmes by some state governors are beginning to fail.
Speaking on the inchoate student loan scheme of the federal government, Imafidon said it would greatly reduce mass illiteracy in the country.
He, however, raised concerns over the scheme, calling for its sincere implementation to meet the intended audience.
He said: “Free education is okay. It is not about free education but about qualitative education. You cannot say education is free, and then you now give something that is watery, whitewashed and lacklustre. And at the end of the day, people are not properly educated. By the time they are through with the so-called education, they cannot stand alone and defend their certification. That is where the problem is. A lot of graduates from our many institutions are not employable.
” If we have a qualitative education that is free, it will do us good. Like in our school, Apex Olive College, we promote education of high repute, including procurement of laboratory gadgets, facilities and infrastructure to aid education advancement”.
The scholar  called on the government at all levels, education stakeholders, parents, school management and students to be sincere with the funding of education, adding that attractive welfare packages for staff should not be non-negotiable.
 Delivering  a keynote lecture with the title:’’Evaluation of Human Capital Development as a Strategy for Increasing Productivity in an Organization”, a Togolese Professor of Economics, Olubodun Olayiwola, emphasized the need for regular training of workers.
Olayiwola pointed out that reliance on good certification has been a bane of human capital development of every African state.
The professor stressed that Nigeria must emulate other developed countries such the USA, China and others which place a premium on skills and capacity rather than mere certifications.
 Prowess University’s African Representative, Prof. Eze Nwauba, who was represented by Dr. Olaolu Ayodele from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta {FUNAAB} charged every education stakeholder to form a synergy deliver topnotch education.