Topic: Irregularities within the Nigeria Educational Sector – The Way Out

A Lecture delivered by Com. Oke Wasiu Ayinde (Pattern), Former Federation of Oyo State Student Union (FOSSU) National Senate President, at the 2020 Symposium and Award Presentation of National Association of Lanlate Students ((NALS) Held at Nitel Club House Lanlate Ibarapa East L. G Oyo State today, 1st January, 2021

All Protocols are duly Observed

INTRODUCTION

Education, according to Wikipedia, is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. It also includes the process of developing the powers of reasoning and judgment to prepare oneself or others intellectually for mature life. In fact, the level of development of any nation is usually measured according to its level of education.

Despite the huge potentials of the sector, especially, in aspects of national development, it seems so neglected in Nigeria. Apart from COVID-19, there are other pandemics that continually plague the educational sector of Nigerian schools. These, just as the current global pandemic, are also deadly, considering the long-term effect they have on the students after graduation.

Have you ever wondered why students from Africa, especially Nigeria, migrate to other parts of the world in search of quality education? Or the reason behind the excellent performance of students when they are outside of this part of the world as against their poor performance when they are here?

What distinguishes a nation with quality education from those with disadvantageous educational system is how much the former is able to utilize its students and bring out the best in them.
Talk of Nigeria educational system – from the primary level to secondary level and tertiary level – and issues like decline in standard, deterioration of facilities, poor remuneration, examination malpractices, industrial action (that is, strike), among others would be discussed alongside. In fact, the problems cannot be exhausted within a single lecture. These problems are so ingrained in the system that subsequent administrations keep on inheriting them.

This lecture does not only attempt to dissect the irregularities that have plagued the educational sector of Nigeria but also proffers workable solutions to the myriads of challenges. This is to avoid a total collapse of the sector in the coming years.

What are the irregularities?

To avoid an overly long lecture, I will try as much as possible to be brief in discussing the challenges. Besides, these problems are not newly-created ones; they have been in existence for some decades.

The national budget for education has remained abysmally poor over the years; it still struggles to find its feet on 15% as against the 26% recommended by the United Nations. This has led to the rising cost of education at all levels , with exception to a few states that still provide free education at primary and secondary levels, This lack of inadequate funding has birthed other problems, including poor remuneration of teachers, lack or inadequate facilities or infrastructure, among others. Even the little money earmarked for the sector eventually get diverted and embezzled by both public and civil servants.

In terms of infrastructure, many schools still suffer from its deficit. In some primary and secondary schools, for instance, pupils have to study under trees; in others, classrooms are often without roofs or desks to write on. Sometimes, students have to compete with nature (rain or sun) for a space in their classrooms. Some schools do not even have teachers to teach the students.

Tertiary institutions are not also left out in the challenge. Many of them lack lecture theatres or classrooms that can freely accommodate their respective students. Some lecture rooms are usually jampacked with students such that they are inconducive for its occupants. How can learning be effective in such an atmosphere? Apart from this, only a few schools have hostels. Even the available hostels are overcrowded. This is as a result of the inability of the sector to accommodate the rising population demands.

The Nigeria educational sector now extols the virtue of indiscipline as it is characterized by malpractices of various kinds and magnitude. Think of surcharges and examination malpractices. Students are being surcharged in a number of ways in tertiary institutions either in the name of dues that are not accounted for, forceful purchase of reading and other learning materials at exorbitant rate, among others. This is totally unacceptable.

In some schools, examination malpractices have been elevated to standard practice. The few ones that still uphold their moral standards are regarded as outcasts by their corrupt peers. Parents are not excluded from the equation; they are now widely encouraged to pay bribes to teachers to assist their children and wards during examinations. Even invigilators are often in direct collusion with these practices.

It has become a norm for teachers in Nigerian schools to be owed months and backlogs of salary and other arrears. This has led to a series of industrial action by teachers’ unions over the years, which in turn has crippled the educational sector over the years. It is unfortunate that some institutions are far behind schedule in academic activities.

The Nigerian educational sector has had to deal with the problem of outdated curriculum for decades now. From the primary to university levels, students are taught from curriculums that has no bearing with models in the 21st century, meaning that most Nigerian graduates are learning things that have no place in the modern world. Some countries have integrated artificial intelligence into their secondary schools’ curriculum. When will Nigeria get to this state?

The Way Out

The educational system has so much been infested with corruption scourge that it will take a concerted effort by all stakeholders in the sector to effect a meaningful change. In this case, the government, parents, teachers, and students are key players in restoring sanity and lost glory back to the educational sector.

Government

A government that is serious about producing highly-educated individuals that will become useful members of the society in the 21st century must adequately fund the sector and put safeguards in place to stem the wave of massive corruption that has obstructed the growth of the sector in recent years.

Schools should be provided with basic equipment that will facilitate effective learning. Such facilities include well-equipped laboratories for practical classes, well-equipped libraries, conducive lecture rooms, among other training facilities. It should also ensure that the welfare packages of its teachers are encouraging. This will serve as a motivation for them to discharge their duties effectively.

For the Nigerian student to function effectively in the midst of their peers from other countries, the nation’s curriculum also has to be overhauled and modernized to flow with the tide of evolving technology. In addition, curriculum should not be irrationally changed by successive administrations, especially based on certain policies. Only a relatively stable curriculum that is in tandem with the modern needs can provide teachers, students, and administrators with a measurable plan and structure for delivering quality education.
Training programmes should be made available and compulsory for all teachers to keep them up to date with teaching methods and societal needs

Parents

Parents are meant to provide the basic needs needed to meet the challenges of life. They should be able to show enough care and support to their children and wards.

Teachers

Teachers should avoid being used as tools for examination malpractices. They should also employ quality teaching aids and up-to-date materials in teaching their students.

Students

As students, we also need to strive to become independent and useful members of the society. This is only possible with dedication and diligence.

Other bodies

Private and corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations, and individuals should as a matter of due responsibility encourage and finance research programmes, inventions, and mass production of invented products as a way of discouraging prospective students from indulging in any form of academic irregularities. They should also help to ensure adequate infrastructural facilities and tools are made available in schools.

Together we can take the Nigeria educational sector to a height where it develops and improve human capacity development of its citizens, thus helping them to attain sustainable livelihood as well as continue making exploits across the globe.

Thank you for your time.

Long live, Nigeria!
Long live, Oyo State!

Tunde Thomas (alias Tunde Gentle), 45, died about two weeks ago from heartbreak. The two kids from his marriage were discovered to have been fathered by the current MD of FCMB, Adam Nuru who was his wife’s boss.

Moyo Thomas is Tunde’s wife. She was reportedly engaged in an office romance with her boss, her managing Director of the bank. Many of the members of the staff knew about the affairs.

The managing director of the Bank, Adam Nuhu is happily married. He got carried about with adultery. He was having an affair with his staff even though he was aware of her marital status.

Tunde was a gentleman. He was so caring and took care of the Kids. He spent all his resources on these kids. He took them to London and Dubai on holidays. He also spared no penny in putting the kids in the best schools.

When the older child was about eight years old, Moyo suddenly resigned from FCMB and travelled to the US with the two children as planned by her boss on holiday

It was when the school session started in Nigeria and the children were not returned that Tunde started asking questions and the lady finally summoned the shameless courage to tell him the children were not his own.

This shameful lady went to extent of filing asylum in the US on the ground of marital violence in Nigeria. Her aim was to get the Green Card and also get Tunde barred from entering the US, so she would not be able to look him in the eye and tell him the bitter truth.

After Tunde received the sad news first in 2017, He reportedly suffered stroke. He later recovered from the stroke but he was not okay again. He cried a lot.

As he got over the illness, Tunde was said to have tried to pick up the pieces of his life. He reportedly started another relationship with a lady lawyer. Soon, he invited some friends to accompany him to visit the lady’s parents on 26th December. However, the visit was not to be. Tunde was said to have got home from work in the night of 15th December 2020 and collapsed at his residence’s staircase. He died instantly.

Autopsy report puts the cause of his death as ‘heart failure’ .

Tunde Gentle, a former staff of the defunct Oceanic Bank, was buried on Wednesday, 30th of December 2020.

Three suspected armed robbers have been arrested in Ibadan by the South Western Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps.

It was learnt that the Patrol team stationed in Ibadan North carried out the operation that led to the arrest of the suspected armed robbers.

The robbers who were caught while trying to rob at Sabo area Ibadan at around 5am on Thursday had dangerous weapons such as axes in their possession.

The names of the suspected armed robbers as gotten by ODUDUWA NEWS are stated as thus:

The First Suspect: Nabim Sani, Male, 18 years old, from Sokoto state. An Okada Rider who lives at Gangari Sabo, Ibadan.

The Second Suspect: Abati Isaac, 19 years old man from Kano state. He works in the Black Market and lives at Nsoso Sabo, Ibadan.

The Third Suspect: Abubaka Muhammed, 28 years old, from Kano state. Tailor by profession and lives at Okesu Sabo, Ibadan.

ODUDUWA CREW: Can we meet you?

INTERVIEWEE: My name is Dare Iyilade and I am an entrepreneur, our clans are people who try to engineer business opportunities out of everything they see.
But I concentrate more on the tech aspect. Those called the Techprenuer which is actually a subset of entrepreneurs.

Techprenuers make good use of technology and convert opportunities found in it into a successful commercial reality.

As a Techpreneur, we try to leverage the day to day technology or sometimes high-end technology to create opportunities and make profit. Its so broad and can be broken into different forms.

INTERVIEWER: What is PROJECT INSIGHT all about?

INTERVIEWEE: Well, project Insight came to existence based on a revelation conceived sometime in October.

When you look around, you will see that opportunities are not universal even though there are many creatives all across the globe and all try to demonstrate their ingenuity in ways made available to them. Which sometimes is limiting.

So, this and many other factors made it possible to come together with like minds who are members of Project Insight and contributors in all forms.

So, Project insight was birthed to create broadened scope and enhanced vision, and opportunities to passionate minds in the country who have not been able to harness these available opportunities.

Without the ability to see visions, dreams cannot exist. Also, exposure deficiency betrays purpose.

Project insight is bringing experiential knowledge to people for the birthing of interests in fields that have been made unattractive due to lack of genuine and accessible information.

Through this project, we want light to be shed to the hearts of many people, everyone, but our target are the young ones. We believe everyone should have access to things, the exposure they need so they can follow where their heart leads.

INTERVIEWER: Can you tell us the motive behind PROJECT INSIGHT?

INTERVIEWEE: Like revealed previously, we just want insight & applicable knowledge to touch all the people, especially the ones who could be genius when their interest in these things peak.

The world only shower encomium on the genius they know, but all over the world there are geniuses that are at the crude state. Infact, every person could be a genius if they get exposed early & love something enough to explore everything in such field.

We want to plant some seeds and we believe that it will land on good grounds of the heart of several individuals that yearn for exposure and practicable knowledge and insight.


INTERVIEWER: Tell us its significance

INTERVIEWEE: The significance of project insight is that there’s no better time than now that our world is in dire need of many creative minds. As we proffer solutions to long term existing problems, other problems are surging. And we can not rely on just those people who are well situated & have all they need need at their reach to solve these problems because passion doesn’t often come from there. And without passion and will to solve a problem, the problem will tarry.

People who know they are deprived of something hold it with all their lives when they get access to these things. That is why some of the best inventors and business moguls in this world are people who have a rough start and when opportunity present itself they grab it with all their might. And today, people know their names and appreciate their inventions.

INTERVIEWER: What do you think are the factors that lead to high rate of unemployment?

INTERVIEWEE: This one is very broad, but I’ll just talk based on what I’ve seen and my own personal experience.

Truth is, our system of education is outdated. Solving problem requires new discoveries, no one solves a new problem with an old technology.

The school curriculums are rarely updated and the ones that do not work again are not thrown out and replaced. This makes it difficult to come up with discoveries & solutions.

Lets take this for example, The engineering firms in Nigeria do not have the required space to accommodate every engineering graduate from every school in Nigeria, according to statistics, only One out of a thousand graduate of engineering in Nigeria, will be employed by any engineering company at all. So what are the rest doing? Barely surviving. All these are because of what our brilliant minds are filled with. Old stuffs that cannot solve problems in the community.

Not to even go into government policies and lack of creative minds at the top. Truth is, if we have critical evaluators at the top, we should already start providing structural set up to address these problems because if it gets too late, they can become irreversible.

INTERVIEWER: What do you think could be the way forward to combat increasing unemployment rate?

INTERVIEWEE: Everyone should go the way of self-taught. This is why many people are doing well today. They indulge in self discipline, threw away things that cannot benefit them, even though they had good grades in school. They do away with it and reschool themselves.

Skill attainment. Several skills are attainable in a short space of time. Thanks to the Internet and YouTube. You can learn anything and become an expert with max 10,000 hours of learning and doing simultaneously. But another issue is, the discipline aspect. Many things call for our attention, especially entertainment. Anyone who can deprive themselves of entertainment, and learn one skill per time. They will be self-dependent and job Creators in this situation where everyone is depending on government.

INTERVIEWER: Tell us something about the enterpreneurial skills?

INTERVIEWEE: Yeah, like we said with our vision for the project, to illuminate minds and impact knowledge. We also believe that there are some great minds who are already doing excellently well and have ticked a lot of boxes when it comes to diligently concentrating on something but lack support and funding. So, a conglomerate of entrepreneurs are putting a SUM of 500,000 naira on ground to find people who are worthy of this cash to support what they are already doing that has a long term vision.

INTERVIEWER: Who are those that will benefit from it?

INTERVIEWEE: Anyone who have a great, feasible and marketable idea. Because, we do not want to support something that do not have market value on the long run.

People whose ideas are certainly viable when thoroughly evaluated by the board of project insight.

INTERVIEWER: You talk about raising 500k seed capital, can you tell us more about it?

INTERVIEWEE: Team insight and a conglomerate of entrepreneurs are putting this seed together to assist and foot the best person with a viable business idea.

It might not necessarily be won by a person, for example, we already have two people with awesome business ideas, so, they’ll come down during the program to tell us more about their business ideas and to defend why they should be considered.


INTERVIEWER: Do you intend to monitor what the beneficiaries will use the grant for?

INTERVIEWEE: Yes, we have professionals on ground, a barrister with whom we’ll make available documents. So these beneficiaries can do well with this support fund. They’ll be monitored, so they don’t spend the money on self gratification.

INTERVIEWER: How sustainable PROJECT INSIGHT is?

INTERVIEWEE: Well, we believe that any project that has people vision has the potential to last long. This is not a project to glorify any individual, it’s a revelation conceived and supported by many great minds within the cabinet and even outside.

So, we believe it will unfold into several ways.

INTERVIEWER: What is your vision after the programme?

INTERVIEWEE: To see people do well, not just with what they have learnt. But to even ignite their passion to go after the things they have had in mind to learn or do.

Moreso to be courageous to attempt things, Because when they get seen, you never can tell who will give support. This is a major challenge to many initiatives out there, people are scared to start because they feel there’s no support.

Nothing must be started with support in mind, if your ideas are genuine, push it out there and be sure to have vast knowledge about it. The support will come.

So, we want to impart practicable knowledge into people and we hope they will not just run with it, but they will also be able to create new path for themselves and people around them through this knowledge and exposure.

INTERVIEWER: Thanks for your time.

Human rights activist and presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore and other protesters were, on December 31, arrested by the police in Abuja as they staged a procession to herald in the New Year.

According to one of the protesters, Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters and a staunch critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, was arrested by police officers who stormed the Gudu Junction area in the FCT.

The witness said the police fired teargas canisters and shot into the air to disperse the crossover procession, and arrested Sowore along with other activists from the location.

The protesters were later taken to Abattoir Police Station of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit in Abuja where they were detained.

“We were at the Gudu Junction on a procession to usher in the New Year as well as tell Buhari that he should sit up and do well in 2021,” the protester who claimed he managed to escape said.

“We were on a peaceful procession but the police came and fired teargas and live bullets into the air to disperse us.

“Sowore, Sanyaolu Juwon, Michael and two others were arrested and taken to the Abattoir Police Station where they are being detained.

“While trying to arrest Sowore, the police injured him in the leg and even though he was bleeding profusely, they still took him away and detained him without caring to give him first aid.

“Sowore was particularly singled out for torture by the police who kept saying he wants to overthrow Buhari. They beat him up, gave him a bloodied nose, before whisking him away.”

In the evening of Thursday, December 31, Sowore had taken to his Twitter handle where he wrote:

“How about a crossover protest/uprising tonight? Anyone willing to participate?

“Pick up a candle and a placard showing your grievances against the regime; let’s upload our short videos and photos across our social media platforms. Let’s welcome the regime to a resolute 2021!

‪”#CrossoverWithProtest against tyrant ‬@mbuhari’s regime, candlelight for #LekkiMassacre; a placard for #EndBadGovernment; procession to usher in #Revolutionary 2021, a fist for victims of repression-frozen bank accounts, malicious prosecution and detention of #Endsars.”