As at the time of writing this article, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is still continuing the strike action embarked on a strike action it embarked upon for the umpteenth time to protest against FG’s reneging on earlier agreements. The strike having entered its sixth week, frustrated students are at home with many having nothing to do than pass time at home, watching TV programmes with nothing to offer by way of learning, gradually increasing the number of years they spend in schools. The saddest part of the whole situation of the whole situation is the undeniable fact remains that this present situation is avoidable and also education and, by extension, the nation is the ultimate loser in this regard.
The losses incurred by the Nigerian state is not only in terms of manpower (or more appropriately put) brainpower, considering the number of brilliant young people who travel abroad to seek education in more stable climes but also in terms of finances, if figures supposedly being spent by Nigerians in foreign schools is anything to go by. According to Professor Briggs, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigerians spend about N160 billion on education in Ghanaian universities and if you juxtapose this amount against an amount of N426.53billion allocated to the education sector in Nigeria’s 2013 budget, and factor in that much more than the quoted amount for Ghana is being spent by Nigerians on education in the United Kingdom, USA and Canada amongst many other countries, the enormity of the loss being incurred by Nigeria strikes home.
When Nigeria’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles emerged winners of the 2013 Nations Cup, the way and manner with which the Federal and State governments doled out money to these players seemed to suggest that Nigeria is one wealthy nation where every other crucial sector of the nation has been settled and all goes well. Now, it goes beyond reasonable doubt that Nigeria is indeed a wealthy nation, but is all well with the nation, well, if all isn’t well with the education sector, then all is definitely not well with the country.
With all of this being said, one has not even considered the issue of the quality of education being offered at all levels of our education starting from the primary to the post-secondary school levels. Sad to note, however is that whilst public commentators and analysts are quick to get on air and talk about the situation when it concerns the post-secondary schools, not much attention is being paid to the quality of education received at the primary school level which should be the foundation of where the corrections should come from and one can boldly say that until that is fixed, we cannot truly talk of quality education in the country.
Another critical issue to look at should be the quality of lecturers and teachers who offer these educational services. How motivated are these teachers? What demands are being made of them to improve on the quality of education on offer, carry out ground-breaking research like their colleagues in other parts of the world?
Education has, over time proven to be the backbone of true development in many countries and unless we find a solution to resolve this quagmire, then it’s safe to say that VISION 20-20 and all others like it that might be fashioned, will definitely end up where it started, that is on paper.
BY GBENGA OSOWE