Former President Jerry John Rawlings has commended the governor of Imo State of Nigeria, Rochas Okorocha, for his extensive support for the education of Nigerians and African youth.

He said the investment in education and sponsorship of under-privileged youth, which has benefited thousands of Nigerian youth, was an exercise worthy of commendation and emulation by other well-meaning African politicians and philanthropists.

Mr Rawlings made the call when Mr Okorocha called on him at his office in Accra on Sunday, 18 March 2018.

Mr Rawlings urged Mr Okorocha and other like-minded leaders to consider the establishment of a continental education hub comparable to the Isle of Youth in Cuba, which has educated thousands of Africans since the 1980s.

Mr Rawlings noted that graduates from the Isle of Youth were equipped with higher levels of integrity because they focus on academic learning and engender a culture of discipline and honesty.

For his part, Mr Okorocha praised Mr Rawlings for his sense of integrity, describing him as a man who speaks his mind irrespective of the consequences.

Responding to the call for investment in the moral education of the youth, Mr Okorocha stated that he was very much a convert to the principle of education that focuses on producing graduates with integrity.

He indicated that it was time to empower the youth to take over the mantle of political leadership on the continent and stated that he has a foundation that has educated over 17,000 young people with about 4000 graduating from the university.

He also stated that he had instituted the 555 project where five students from different African countries will have their education sponsored by the Rochas Foundation.