MATTERS ARISING: The lifelessness of Nigeria education (1) By: Emmanuel Osele George

Let me quickly correct a public error: Education is not a scam, it is the breath of a working society!

In 2017, my sincere concerns on the state of education in Nigeria ripen to the extent that I needed to book a studio section to record my heartpains about Nigeria education quagmire. I made some motion slides with the audio and share on some WhatsApp groups and Facebook.

I registered my concerns on how degrading and relegated the sector had become with little or no attention to it, as key to driving development in the country. How organisations have chosen to invest more on pleasure things than in education because it does not sell. How unpopular and invirtuous the sector had been in the domestic picture. Regarding Nigerian Youths as dullard, here at home while genius offshore.

I have decided to break this writing in three parts, following the three pillars to education; mainly, the Teachers/Lecturers, the Students and Infrastructure.
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Infrastructure

What controls the three pillars is Government policies and programmes! UNESCO recommended that the minimum annual budget percentage on education should be 26% for developing countries, like Nigeria. But, our budget on education has never gone beyond 7%. God will not send angel Gabriel to come and add the remaining 19%. Don't forget, some folks will still embezzle part of it ó. Do you now see why education will never improve in Nigeria? Hold this point.

According to 1999 Nigerian Constitution,
Section 18 (1) Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.
(2) Government shall promote science and technology
(3) Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide
(a) free, compulsory and universal primary education;
(b) free secondary education;
(c) free university education; and
(d) free adult literacy programme.

Be my witness, is government, at all levels, abiding with the constitution by which they sworn? Have you seen more reason and why the system is romancing the tomb?

Let's school who don't know: Education is a utility service, just like health. Government is not expected to make money through education. They are supposed, as enshrined in the constitution, to invest in it, thereby reaping the investment in the development and advancement it would bring to the society. Well, since their cluelessness cannot uphold the modus oparandi the like of Awolowo laid, they should then appropriately utilise the token the parents pay. Government has hands up, expecting miracle to happen - far far behind is the case.

Infrastructure, as one of the pillars to sane education, and which is solely government responsibility, is a show of shame in our schools. When you see the kind of structures the then government built, you would be confounded at why the present government cannot raise structures like that. . Hardly would you see a local government in Nigeria without, at least, five dilapidated buildings - they lack the sane ideas to maintain it. How do you expect effective learning in such environments? I also wouldn't want us to limit this to only structures, other basic facilities like, laboratories, workshops and studios. Be my witness, were you truthfully exposed to practical with advanced equipments, as an undergraduate? They are government responsibility to make provision for that.

When a computer science student cannot access latest softwares and hardwares in school, we have finished!

When mechanical engineering student cannot identify some tools and machine parts physically, except in drawings, we have finished.

In our school, secondary and post-secondary, no basic equipment Practicals are limited to drawings, how sad!

No conducive learning environment, and want our youths build rocket!

Our education is finished here. Imagine a sane government charging institutions to operate and finance itself with IGR. Government want profit from education, only here.

To be continued...other pillars would be examined tomorrow.

© Emmanuel Osele George