Nigeria; A Country Where Qualitative Education Is Denied The Poor

By: Divinelove Udorji

With the spate of strike actions in Nigeria's government owned high institutions, one is wondered to ask if education is really for all or for some selected individuals. The memory of the seven months ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike that rocked the nation in 2013, can hardly be erased from the minds of Nigerian undergraduates. After the strike students of Nasarawa State University precisely, breathed an air of relieve, believing it was the end of strike actions in our institutions. Only for students of Nasarawa state University to be woken by a sudden indefinite strike action imposed by the ASUU NSUK chapter on the 7th of March, 2016. Which was due to the state government's refusal to pay up allowances it owed the lecturers since 2009, even after the ASUU NSUk chapter had issued a three weeks ultimatum to Nasarawa state government.

Some of the pertinent questions that. come to mind are; why are Nigerian teachers unjustly paid? Why does the government prioritise issues such as airport construction, buying of bullet proof cars for her ministers and commissioners over the educational empowerment and enlightenment of her youths? Why do government officials prioritise their wages over the education of young Nigerian minds, who are envisaged to be the leaders of tomorrow?

These are young minds that are projected to be the leaders of tomorrow. How would a Nigerian youth be able to compete with his counterparts in the western world when his educational background is in ruin. Just for a four years degree, you are expected to spend over 6 years as a result of consistent strike. Negligence on the part of the government I think is the cause for the decline in the academic quality of Nigeria Universities.

Citing this impending doom even our politician who swore allegiance to its citizens have all resulted to sending their children abroad for studies. Ridiculously these kids who are sent abroad to study with taxpayers money are attached more importance in the Nigerian labour market because they hold a certificate from either the prestigious Cambridge, Oxford or Yale university. Automatically they get the choicest jobs in highest paying firms and organisations. While the average Nigerian youth who strenuously studied in a government owned university is left with to scrabble for the available crumbs. You might ask, what is a first-class-degree from our local university compared to a second-class-lower-degree earned in Cambridge, Oxford or Yale university? That's only because as Africans we have over hyped the whiteman's certificate more than ours, even after independence we are still living under colonial imperialism as we depend on the whiteman for virtually everything from refined crude to even toothpicks.

Today Ghana and Benin Republic's education sector is booming because Nigerian youths have incessantly bombard their country to acquire higher education.

The educational needs of the Nigerian youth has been denigrated to the bin and held with little importance by even the government.

Little wonder why Ayodele David Dada the young man who graduated from University of Lagos in 2016 with a C.G.P.A of 5.00, a feat that has not been attained in the institution for over 5 decades is hardly celebrated. How then is a Nigerian undergraduate ought to be encouraged? How then does a Nigerian undergraduate ought to know that good grades actually pays? During the days of Wole Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi , Chinua Achebe etc, the government awarded such graduates with cash prices, a comfortable job, a personal car and a luxury apartment but these days reserve is the case, probably that's the major reason why little or no youth has been able to attain such literary height after them.