Lagos — I will start today's commentary with long prefatory remarks. Some times, the choice of topics for weekly commentaries in this column does not easily come by as some people may think.

Usually, one easy source of choosing topics is by reacting to, and/or following-up already reported news items in the mass media. This source has the advantage of restricting commentaries to topical and relevant issues of the moment, and in the process contributing towards building historical knowledge on important issues in our higher education system. Such an approach can also help to highlight emerging trends in the system. Although dominantly reactive in approach, this source is equally proactive as it can help to elevate some issues into the public policy agenda of the government. However, the source has the disadvantage of being exclusionary in approach, as other important issues that did not receive the attention of news reporters would hardly be commented upon.

Another important source of selecting my topics is what is called 'hunch' or intuition in philosophy and research methodology. Some times, it may be a product of a sudden and unsystematic observation of what is currently happening or developing in the system. The third important source (in some way related to a hunch) is by having an inspiration. Writers may ascribe the power of their inspiration to different Supernatural Sources or Beings but a good number however would ascribe such inspirational power to the Spirit of the Almighty God who is himself, the authentic Source of Knowledge and Fountain of Wisdom. As many of us know and believe, three of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit of God are Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom. Inspiration is therefore a very invaluable source for many writers. Finally, one other source, which we may regard as conventional, is the repository or stock of knowledge one has gathered as experience in one's field of specialization. For example, much of what writers know already enables them to be conversant with a wide range of issues that they can comment upon regularly. This may come from global literature and experiences of other countries in an area under discussion.

The choice today's topic simply came from 'hunch'. As I was drafting last week's article and made reference to Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun as a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), the idea of commenting on the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) flashed and I picked it without wasting any time. I suppose the NNMA deserves to be featured more elaborately in this column than I had done in the past. As a matter of fact, this is not the first time that I would be making some comments on the NNMA and its award of the NNOM. For example, in 2003, when Prof. (Mrs.) Paulina K. Makinwa-Adebusoye (a former President of the Social Science Academy of Nigeria, Abuja under which I was then serving) got the award and distinctively so as the first and only female academic so far to receive it, my former column in the Daily Trust reported and congratulated her along with other awardees that year (namely Prof. Alfred A. Susu and Prof. Ifanyi C. Ume). (Please note for historical record that the first woman to receive the award was Late Hajiya Ladi Kwali who was a distinguished professional potter, but not an academician). Secondly, in 2005, when Prof. Adamolekun (who specialized in my own humble field of public administration) along with Prof. Laz Ekwueme (Music/Humanities) and Prof. Ayodele O. Falase (Medicine), got the prestigious award, this column also reported and made brief commentary on the award. And lastly, in my February 2007 article on 'Pat Utomi Book Prize on Literary Excellence', I also made reference to the NNOM as our own national equivalent of the Nobel Prize. I thought I should make these prefatory remarks to proactively clear the air on likely thoughts as to whether there are certain extra-professional motives or forces that determine the choice of topics in this column.

The primary sources of information for this commentary are (a) the official website of the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA), which can be accessed at and (b) Online Nigeria (Nigeria's Information Portal). However the resulting analysis on the sourced information is strictly mine.

With your permission, let me provide a background that is considered helpful towards a better understanding of our subject matter. Generically speaking, the Federal Government of Nigeria has four major types of National Honours it gives to people who have distinguished themselves in various aspects of our national life. The first (and the most widely known type) was simply given the generic name National Honours and it was instituted in 1964. It was simply called National Honours because at the time of its institution, there was no other comparable type of national honour that it could be confused with as we have it today. The second category of honour is the Nigerian National Merit Award, which was instituted in 1979. The third is the National Productivity Merit Award instituted in 1991, while the last is the National Creativity Award instituted in 1995. As a result of the confusion that often characterizes the National Honours and the Nigerian National Merit Award in the minds of the public, I will go further to provide more useful information on the former before finally focusing on the later.

The National Honours Award was instituted by Act No. 5 of 1964 to reward Nigerians from all walks of life, who are deemed by the government to have rendered special and outstanding services in their various callings to the benefit and progress of the nation. One distinguishing feature of this Award is that they are conferred on all individuals who are adjudged to have given meritorious services to our fatherland regardless of their professional or occupational callings or whether they are in the public or private sectors. The Act established two Orders of Dignity in this Award. The first is the Order of the Federal Republic under which recipients are awarded (i) the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR); (ii) Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR); (iii) Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFN); and (iv) Member of the Order of the Federal Republic MFR). The second Order of Dignity is the Order of the Niger under which recipients get (i) the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON); (ii) Commander of the Order of the Nigeria (CON); (iii) Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON); and (iv) Member of the Order of the Niger (MON). In terms of hierarchical order, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) is followed by the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and the rest in the two Orders of Dignity, goes in that pair of hierarchical order. In addition to all these, there are two Medals that are also awarded. The first is the Federal Republic Medals and the second is the Order of the Niger Medals. This is the much that can be said here on this annual jamboree called the National Honours Award, the list of its awardees sometimes sends the wrong signals on the raison d'etre of conferring national honours in the first place. Well, like Dr. Fred Onyeziri once argued in The Guardian, the government that confers national honours, is in a better position to determine those who deserve to receive them. But unfortunately, this argument appears to under-estimate the fact that in the final analysis, awardees should be adjudged to have served the people well and not just the government of the day, since the interests of those in government and the people they are supposedly serving are not always the same. And I am sure that Oga Fred knows much about this than I do.

The article continues next week by the special grace of God as I now donate the remaining space to a feedback sent by J. Elspeth S. Smith of the American University of Nigeria (AUN),Yola.

RE: NUC and the Regulation of Cross-border Higher Education in Nigeria (4)

American University of Nigeria would like to applaud the article of Dr. Obasi that warns of the dangers of cross-border education in Nigeria. Dr. Obasi's careful analysis of higher education opportunities in the country and his recommendation to guard against fraudulent universities and/or degree programs are also appreciated.

I would like to clarify the status of American University of Nigeria (AUN), which was described in the article. AUN is not a branch campus. We are a stand-alone institution with a Board of Trustees that is constituted of international members distinguished in business and higher education. Our relationship with American University in Washington, D.C., is modeled on the same relationship that helped launch the American University of Sharjah. We are an independent institution with nonprofit status both in Nigeria and in the United States. The former Vice President of Nigeria, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, is the Founder of the university but there are a number of major donors and supporters and an autonomous Board of Trustees.

Finally, it might be of interest to note that Dr. Michael Smith, Acting President of AUN, is formerly the Executive Director of the Commission on Accreditation of Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates and was an invited speaker to the Observatory on Borderless Education in London to address the same issues that concern Dr. Obasi. Dr. Obasi mentioned AUN favorably, and we want him and the citizens of Nigeria to understand our commitment to providing the highest quality of American-style higher education for the benefit of Nigerians.

Sent By: J. Elspeth S. Smith

Vice President, University Relations,

American University of Nigeria,

Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria (Dated August 17, 2007).

Weekly Food for Thought Series (No. 34)

Scientific breakthroughs do not occur in a vacuum. The near absence of vibrant National Scientific Academies in Nigeria is a hindrance to the promotion of a productive research culture among academics. In what way(s) therefore can the recipients of our most prestigious academic award (namely the NNOM) contribute towards a further advancement of a productive research culture in Nigeria?

Dr. Obasi teaches Public Administration at the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Southern Africa