Siraj Abdulkarim
25 October 2009
Abuja — Nigeria that came into being from British colonialism undoubtedly inherited a sound and organized education system best known to the British. It was therefore of no surprise that not too long ago the best three universities in Africa, a Nigerian university was the foremost. The universities were the University of Ibadan, University of Khartoum in Sudan and Makerere University in Uganda.
However and much later, especially from the early 1990s, things begun to degenerate. One strike after another, lack of funds, overpopulation, decaying infrastructure, hostile environment, etc contributed to the problem and it is of no surprise that the education system in general is today near to a collapse. What is of surprise is that it is happening in Nigeria while globally the value of education has become more and more apparent as the most potent weapon to any individual, community or nation for development. It has become clearer that education is the source to development; it is the weapon to face the challenge of globalization by respective individuals and nations.
In Nigeria today, when we look at our Agricultural network, we could easily notice the deficiency in our education system. Agriculture is mechanized, we are still dependent on the primitive method, seedlings are being improved daily but most of our farmers are ignorant of that. When you compare our rice, tomato, banana, potato, etc with the foreign types, one knows we stand no chance to the global competition. Our research institutions are unfocused, understaffed and under funded. Our agricultural policies lacks grassroots input and little wonder therefore that while farmers in some other countries determine their agricultural policies most of our farmers are ignorant of the policy process. Nor are policy markers bothered, anyway. Thus do always our farmers battle with as basic and as simple a thing as fertilizer supply not its production.
Our Agricultural sector has little or no impact on our industries. The education system has not tailored the sector to inspire, lead and establish cottage, small and medium scale industries which are the providers of employment and foundation for development. The few available ones were personal with monumental sacrifice and difficulties that have existed only to maintain the status quo.
Our education system unlike before has failed to empower us to be initiative, producers and face the challenge of globalization gallantly. It has failed to instil in us patriotism and a sense of pride. Majority of our youth, the leaders of tomorrow, want to make quick and easy money through one sort of begging or another or through corruption in one way or the other. Am saying this out of a grave concern because our youth in universities and these are the good ones only look for jobs in the banks, the oil industry, etc. There are others who wish to be employed to inflict a 'deep wound' on the nation or cut the largest part of the 'national cake' for their persons by grapping as many millions of naira as they could even if fraudulently. Our education system has failed to empower us to speak the truth especially to leadership of all types at all levels while the nation is fast slipping into the abyss. We have therefore become spectators in our own motherland. We are however leading in titles of all sorts affixed before our names like, Engr. for Engineer, Dr. for Doctor (difficult to distinguish whether it was an honourable degree, academic or medical), Q.S. for Quantity Surveyor, Barr. for Barrister, Prof. for Professor, etc. Other titles one comes across daily include Honourables, Excellencies, Highnesses, Distinguished, etc. We so like titles but may be it is only through that one can get recognition because very few care for the output.
The weaknesses enumerated above are certainly but negatively affecting our quest for development. It was damage over a long period of time but must be remedied and the root is education. The education system right from primary to university levels must be given full attention, equipped and funded to lead the country to be one of the 20 most developed countries in 2020. Short of that, we will continue to be a consumer nation. Today if you put a Japanese student in a corner and tell him that the following day, he would have an examination and here are the questions. He would not look at them. Because he believes the secret is in understanding not the marks.
If he understands, that would equip him to initiate and create than to merely and fraudulently hold a certificate. That was our education system too. But today, our system of education, at all levels, is infected by all sorts of viruses named examination malpractices. It is the products of this our education system that would be challenged by the Japanese student. It is the products of this of this education system that man our educational institutions and hospitals, of particular concern to me at the moment. There is therefore little wonder that no Nigerian university could make it into the list of the best 30 universities in Africa not the world. We are thus in a problem where our youth want the best form of life with no element of sacrifice. It is therefore of no surprise our economy imports toothpicks, our chief executives run to foreign hospitals for food poisoning, the sons and daughters of many top government officials are in foreign universities some even at primary or secondary level, our elites buy their analgesics, which are the most common drugs, from outside.
To be concluded tomorrow.
Abdulkarim wrote from the Department of Public Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
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