‘What education is and it is not’

The well-researched opinion article in The Guardian titled “What education is and it is not” by F. E. Ogbumi is excellent and thought-provoking as it does try to address the issue of policy formulation for Education for development in Nigeria.

We must, however, appreciate that following the rise of modern science in Europe in the 17th Century that Science and Technology activities undertaken in Europe changed the scope and complexity of industry leading to an industrial economy. Science and Technology activities were introduced in Nigeria for the first time in 1899 in furtherance of the revolution going on in Britain and Europe…
It is the British Cotton Growing Association (BCGA) led by one Mr. Moor in its search for a suitable area for cotton growing in southern Nigeria that introduced Agricultural Scientific Research at Ibadan in an area now known as Moor Plantain in 1899. Although cotton was abundantly produced in Kano areas, there were then no roads, no railways to take them to the sea port in Lagos for their export to Britain. Ibadan apparently had a climate like Kano’s which gave the impetus to the cotton growing experimental station in Ibadan.
Science and Technology education for development in Industrial nations of Europe, North America and many countries in Asia consists of the following activities:

1 Training in the various disciplines of Science and Technology namely Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Sciences and Medical Sciences all taking place in the universities or similar academies;
2. Scientific Research in the above disciplines of Science primarily to acquire knowledge or deeper understanding on the intricacies of above stated Sciences, which may lead to discoveries and inventions and or new scientific knowledge;
3. Training in the technics (Technologies) of production and services in the economy which take place in the Polytechnics, and or Colleges of Technologies to acquire the capability and or capacity to produce and manufacture technologies.
4. Research and Development (R&D) which take place in R&D institutions, universities and or at the ground floor of industry such as Engineering design and Fabrication, Technology innovation, and industrial production and manufacturing of capital goods, consumer items and industrial materials using such primary raw material as cocoa, corn, groundnut, and solid, liquid and gaseous minerals;
5. Mass production of modern technologies and industrial goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials) using primary raw materials (agricultural and minerals including solid, liquid and gaseous raw minerals) for this purpose in the domestic economy; and
6. Technology Innovation capacity building. That is, capacity to modify, upgrade and or improve an existing technologies to become a new technologies in the economy.
Now the question is “can the education in Science and Technology now taking place in Nigeria fit into the above definition? If not why not?

My honest answer is that it does not. This is because Nigeria is yet to build the requisite capability and or capacity to produce and manufacture globally competitive modern technologies and industrial goods. We do not produce new technologies in Nigeria through technology innovation or through domestic R&D. This observation is fully supported by a statement credited to Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the then governor of CBN and now the Emir of Kano.
“We, in Nigeria (that is a country which began training and research in Science and Technology disciplines in 1899 at Moor Plantation Ibadan) produce crude petroleum oil, we have no refineries and even the refineries constructed and built for us are not functioning and we have no domestic endogenous capacity to repair or rehabilitate them, we produce gas, we don’t have gas processing plants, we produce cotton but the textiles plants (imported and installed for us) are not working and we cannot rehabilitate them.

We produce and export hides and skins but we don’t have leather and leather products industries. We have iron ore deposits we don’t produce steel including flat sheets, (that is namely sheet metal and carbon steel) (and one will like to add we all know that steel is the prime metal of all moving parts of a machine). We produce various primary agricultural commodities including tomatoes, cassava, maize, etc. but we don’t have tomato processing plants and industries for producing yeast, starch, etc. We have abundant natural minerals but we don’t have chemical industries (and one will add, to produce organic chemicals, inorganic and special chemicals such as fertilizers and explosives) etc. All of which have to be imported from industrial nations to sustain Nigeria’s manufacturing economy.

“In the absence of these industries or domestic industrial production base we cannot create jobs in the manufacturing sector of the economy, which now contributes very little to the country’s GDP, then the economy cannot grow and since we don’t have our own industrial production base, our market of over 150 million people is a market for fast industrialising and fast growing nations such as China, India and South Korea and the highly industrialised nations of Europe, North America and Japan.
“Now China’s industrial products are cheaper in this country and other African countries than the industrial goods of Europe and America and that is why America is today blackmailing and asking China not to devalue its currency, the Yuan, so that American industrial products can compete favourably in African countries, the main battle ground or markets for world industrial goods and services.”

Lord Fredrick Lugard, the first governor-general of Nigeria (1914-1918), in his book titled The Dual Mandate of Europe in Tropical Africa 4th Edition 1929, provided the answers on why Science and Technology activities undertaken in Nigeria could not build in Nigeria a domestic capability. “The tropics are a heritage of mankind, the exploitation of its vast primary raw materials cannot be denied to the Europeans who need them for their industrial classes (industrialisation of Europe). Let it be admitted that at the outset that European brains, capital and energy have not been and never will be expended in developing the resources of Africa from motives of pure philanthropy, Europe is in Africa for the mutual benefit of her own industrial classes and the native races of Africa, the source of some primary raw materials needed for the industrialisation of Europe.

“The Colonies will take our (European produced) modern technologies and industrial manufactured goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials) and we (Europe) shall get their (Africa) raw materials (agricultural commodities, solid, liquid and gaseous minerals) in return. They (the Africa native people) will get from us (Europe), industrial goods including equipment, machines, transport vehicles, modern medicines, movies, schools and professionals, etc. required to exploit their (Africa) primary raw resources (agricultural and minerals) to the mutual benefit of Europe and the African natives.’’
In this Policy no modern technologies and no globally competitive industrial goods will be permitted in British Colonies in Africa. Certainly this set the stage for Nigeria’s near total dependence on imported modern technologies and industrial goods inputs in order to sustain her domestic economy.
This Policy was sustained throughout the British Colonial Rule and inexplicably since the end of Colonial Rule in 1960. It is this policy that led to no Polytechnics, no Colleges of Technology no Technical Colleges for skilled technologists and technicians training required for industrial goods production, no R&D Institutions for converting the output of scientific research, inventions and discoveries into modern technologies and industrial goods.
What Nigeria, therefore, should do is to jettison Lugard’s policy on education that is certainly not appropriate for S&T activities for development in Nigeria and to embrace a more appropriate policy for S&T activities that can transform or leapfrog Nigeria into a domestic endogenous capability and or capacity for modern technologies and globally competitive industrial goods.

Oragwu is a Fellow of Science Association of Nigeria (FSAN),

Experts rue prevalence of unaccredited courses in public universities

Education administration experts have blamed the existence of unaccredited courses in universities on underfunding of education by government, noting that majority of the universities whose academic programmes failed to scale through National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation process are from public institutions.

A breakdown of the 37 affected universities, showed that government owned institutions carry a larger chunk of 29, with federal universities accounting for 13, while state and private universities had 16 and eight respectively.

Also, a further breakdown indicated that out of the 150 unaccredited programmes, government owned universities recorded 136, while private universities had 14 courses unaccredited.
Commenting on the development, a professor of Education Administration, Ebelechukwu Onyene, explained that since education is underfunded in Nigeria, there cannot be adequate resources, thus making managers of the universities to try breaking coconut with bare hands.
She noted that Nigeria has not realised that ignoring education was doing the nation a lot of harm, adding, “Even the corruption level in Nigeria is because of the problem in the education system, caused by underfunding.”
On his part, Professor Philips Okunola, an education administration expert, said majority of the institutions that had courses that did not scale through accreditation are public universities, maintaining that it is as a result of failure on the part of government.

As education is underfunded by government, he said, whether at federal or state levels, none is meeting the UNESCO benchmark for minimum funding, while some other countries on the continent had raised theirs to about 30 percent of their annual budget.

While arguing that there is no reason for any university’s courses to be unaccredited if resources are adequately mobilised for those programs, Okunola stated: “In public universities, some of them are just coming up, and the state government might find it difficult to give adequate financial support, especially state universities, so the administrators of these universities find it difficult to meet the financial backing that is needed for the smooth running of the universities.”

Fayose begs teachers over unpaid five months salary

Edo government denies responsibility for workers’ woes

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has pleaded with teachers in both primary and secondary schools over five months unpaid salaries and allowances.The governor, who blamed government inability to meet its financial obligations to the teachers on economy recession the country is passing through said he was not oblivion of their plights.
Fayose met with the teachers at Oshuntokun House, inside Government House.In spite of the initial confrontation and display of anger occasioned by non-payment of five months salaries, which had unleashed hardship on the workers at large, Fayose was able to reach a compromise on how all the benefits will be paid in due course with the teachers.
Speaking on the challenges confronting the teachers, Mrs E. A. Olaoye and Mr Adetunji Akinyemi, spoke on behalf of the public primary and secondary schools’ teachers respectively.
Part of their demands was: Payment of March to July 2016 salaries,Payment of 2014 September salary to primary school teachers, recognition of degree holders in primary schools, promotion of teachers beginning from 2010, 2016 salary increase, Core Subjects
Allowance for primary school teachers.Others include: stoppage of deductions on loan repayment and other sources, over-deduction of salaries of members from Accountant General’s office, payment of duty post allowance, payment of Leave bonus for 2016, stoppage of arbitrary cooperative deductions, robust car and housing loans, renovation of schools and effective inter-cadre policy for teachers.

The teachers said though they were not oblivious of the financial difficulty being experienced across the 36 states of the federation, reiterating that they must be given adequate recognition within the limit of the revenues accruing to the state.
However, the major roads linking the Benin City centre; Akpakpava, Mission Road, Sapele Road, Airport Road, Sokponba Road, Forestry and others were locked yesterday as thousands of members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees in Edo State to demand their salaries arrears ranging from five to 18 months.
The NULGE members dressed in all black attires also claimed that a middle aged man who they said is a staff of the Esan North East, Uromi slumped and died immediately.
The workers threatened to vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming September 10 governorship election.
The National President of NULGE Ibrahim Khaleel, said “We are here in Edo state today to show solidarity with you. We are aware that you have been owned between 7 -18 months of salaries by the Edo state government. What we are saying is that your salaries must be paid and the government must stop using our money to pay SUBEB staff.

“He should start paying his counterpart funding for primary school teachers salaries and pay the 10 per cent accruable to Local Governments from the allocation due to the state“We are ready to vote out this government if it does not listen to our plight and pay what is due to us. We will vote out this government if the need arises should he fail to pay our salaries.
Also the state chairman, Comrade Young Ilemikhena urged the workers not to be discouraged adding that victory will be achieved at the end of the struggle. “I call on all of us here to observe a minute silence for our comrade from Esan north east local government area who slumped and died this morning while we were gathered for this struggle.”

In his reaction, the state commissioner for information and orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua told The Guardian “We are not responsible for the payment of local government staff. We also do not touch local government money.. what we have done was to intervene by way of insisting that the right financial discipline applies. We are aware that the PDP slaughtered the nation’s economy for which the nation is sti;ll groping from. We hope things improve in order that states and local governments are able to cope”.

President Buhari Sacks Prof. Dibu, Appoints Prof. Ishaq Oloyede As New Jamb Boss

New JAMB Registrar

Report just reaching us has it that President Buhari has sacked the Registrar of Joint Admission And Matriculation Board, Professor Dibu Ojerinde and 16 other Chief Executives in parastatals and agencies under the Ministry of Education.
Consequently, Prof Ishaq Oloyede has been appointed the new JAMB Boss.

In a statement, the Ministry of Education disclosed that the appointments are with immediate effect.
Below are the other affected parastatals/agencies and the newly appointed Chief Executives;

1.National Universities Commission (NUC) – Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed

2.Nigerian Institute for education Planning and Administration -Pro, Mrs. Lilian Salami

3.Universal Basic Education – Dr. Hameed Bobboyi

4.National library of Nigeria – Prof Lanre Aina

5.National Examinations Council – Prof Charles Uwakwe

6.National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal education – Prof Abba Aladu

7.Nomadic education Commission – Prof Bashir Usman

8.National Business and technical Examinations Board – Prof Isioma Isiugo-Abanihe

9.Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria – Prof Sunday Josiah Ajiboye

10.Computer Registration Council of Nigeria – Afolabi aderinto

11.National Commission for Colleges of Education – Prof Bappah Aliyu

12.Tertiary Education Trust Fund – Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa

13.National Teachers Institute – Prof Garba Dahuwa Azare

14.Libarian Registration Council of Nigeria – Prof Michael Afolabi

15.National Mathematical Centre – Prof Steven Ejugwu Onah

16.National Institute of Nigerian Languages – Prof Chinyere Ohiri-Anichek

REGISTRATION FOR ADMISSION INTO LASU FOUNDATION (JUPEB) PROGRAMME FOR 2016/2017 CALENDAR YEAR HAS BEEN EXTENDED

The University Management has approved the extension for the registration by additional fourteen days. The new timelines are as stated below.

1. CLOSING DATE: Tuesday 12th of July, 2016

2. DATE FOR THE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION: Saturday, 16th July, 2016 by 12:00 Noon on the LASU Foundation Programme Location, Topo Road, Badagry.

3. INTERVIEW FOR SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES: The Interview for successful candidates will hold on Tuesday, 19th July, 2016.

4. RESUMPTION DATE FOR REGISTRATION: Thursday, 21th July, 2016

5. LATE APPLICATION: Late application may be entertained from Wednesday, 13th July, 2016, to Wednesday, 20th July, 2016. Application costs Twenty Thousand Naira (N 20, 000.00) only.

6. LATE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION:
Late qualifying examination holds on Friday, 22nd July, 2016 by 12:00 Noon

7. LECTURES START ON MONDAY, 15th AUGUST, 2016.
For enquiries please call any of these numbers:

08071921433, 08083695918, 08087785190, 08096391787

Federal University, Otuoke, to introduce 16 new academic programmes

NUC

The Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa, is to introduce 16 new academic programmes in addition to the 12 existing ones from the next academic session.
Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Seth Jaja, disclosed this on Monday during an interactive session with the students of the institution.

The Vice Chancellor said that the National Universities Commission (NUC) gave its approval to the university to commence the new programmes in the Faculties of Engineering, Management Sciences, Sciences and Education.

Jaja also said that the institution would admit 2,500 students in the next academic session to fill the spaces that the new programmes would create.
He added that the institution was making efforts to create an enabling environment to accommodate the new students.
The Vice Chancellor enjoined the stale students to be good ambassadors of the institution, maintaining that the university authority was working hard to lay a solid foundation for them.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Steven Akariwa, the President of the institution’s Students’ Union Government (SUG), commended the Vice Chancellor and other management staff for the interactive session.

He urged the university management to create an enabling environment for learning and address the numerous challenges confronting the students.

Augustine University Ilara-Epe (AUI) Admission Screening – 2016/17

Admission into Augustine University Ilara-Epe Lagos (AUI) for the 2016/2017
academic session is currently ongoing.

Interested candidates should follow the link ‘Apply Now’ to process admission.
Candidates who fall within the following categories can apply to Augustine University:
* Candidates who chose Augustine University as First/Second choice in the 2016 UTME
* Candidates who made choices of other Universities in the 2016 UTME and want to consider Augustine University.
* Candidates awaiting results of either WAEC or NECO.
* Candidates for Direct Entry into 200Level may also apply.

Eligibility/Requirements

Requirements for First Choice Applicants
* Applicants must have completed their secondary school education and possess a minimum of five O’Level Credit passes at one or two sittings in West African SSCE/GCE/NECO or its acceptable equivalents which must include credit passes in English Language, Mathematics and at least three other subjects relevant to the proposed course of studies.
* Applicants who are awaiting results for SSCE/GCE can also apply.
*Applicants MUST HAVE chosen AUI as FIRST CHOICE with a minimum score of 180 in the 2016 UTME Examinations
Requirements for Any Choice Applicants
* Applicants must have completed their secondary school education and possess a minimum of five O’Level Credit passes at one or two sittings in West African SSCE/GCE/NECO or its acceptable equivalents which must include credit passes in English Language, Mathematics and at least three other subjects relevant to the proposed course of studies.
* Applicants who are awaiting results for SSCE/GCE can also apply.
*Applicants COULD HAVE chosen any Other University as FIRST CHOICE, but must have scored a minimum of 180 in the 2016 UTME Examinations
*Candidates for Direct Entry into 200 Level may also apply.
Method of Application
– GO TO undergraduate admission page, mouse hover “Application Process” and select “Apply Now”.
– COMPLETE the form by inputing your Firstname, Surname, VALID email address and all other required fields in asterisk. Click “Submit” button when done.
– CHECK your email address for a confirmation message and your application number which will be needed to login into your Personal AUI Account (Please check your spam box if it’s NOT in your inbox) .

To Qualify for the 2016/2017 AUI POST-UTME Exercise

– PAY a sum of N5,500 at any Zenith Bank branch nationwide or through your bank online banking platform using NIBSS. Visit our Website for more information.
– Payment can be made through POS, MONEY TRANSFER or CASH DEPOSITS at Zenith Bank
– WHEN FILLING THE PAYMENT SLIP, don’t forget to indicate ‘what you are paying for’ i.e “Application Fee and your Application ID”
– WATCH OUT for a payment acknowledgment email, assigning to you, your password which you will require to access your personal admission account.
– AS SOON AS you get your password and payment confirmation email, visit the college portal.

British-Nigerian actor gives scholarship to indigent Nigerian girls

David Oyelowo

British-Nigerian Hollywood actor David Oyelowo is ready to give back to his fatherland, Nigeria through a foundation he is funding alongside other celebrities to bring succor to marginalized females in Nigeria.

Oyelowo is giving back through a new foundation, the GEANCO Foundation, which is creating special scholarships for female victims of acts of terror and victims of gender inequality.

Speaking with Broadway World Nigeria’s Afam Onyema, the GEANCO Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Through these scholarships, we will bring fresh hope to Nigeria’s most precious and vulnerable souls. This is a powerful, heartwarming response to an urgent, challenging crisis.”

According to a statement shared by Yahoo, the foundation focuses mostly on the girls who escaped or were rescued from terrorist groups and have been put through psychological torture, which include isolation by their families and communities, disrupted education, and more.

Read excerpt of the statement as published on Yahoo:

GEANCO’s special scholarship will benefit this vulnerable group of girls, in addition to girls severely disadvantaged by Nigeria’s pervasive gender inequality. It is named in honor of acclaimed British-Nigerian actor David Oyelowo (Selma, A United Kingdom, Disney’s Queen of Katwe), a strong GEANCO supporter who encouraged the scholarship’s creation and plays an active role in its funding, administration and promotion. Last year, David received GEANCO’s “Global Promise” Award at the foundation’s annual Hollywood gala in recognition of his commitment to providing better educational opportunities for Nigeria’s youth.

Speaking on the foundation coming to Nigeria, Oyelowo said: “We cannot stand idly by while thousands of innocent girls remain under serious threat. With our help, these bright and resilient girls can blossom into Nigeria’s most inspiring leaders in government, education, business, entertainment, and so much more. The way to combat oppression and injustice is to be intentional in calling it out and then seeking to affect sustainable and long-term change. That is what these Leadership scholarships are all about. We seek to nurture a generation of strong female trailblazers whose positive impact will be felt across Nigeria and around the world.”

JAMB says ‘point system’ not criteria for admission

Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

One week after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) allegedly approved the point system option for admission into tertiary institutions in the country, the body insists that the Federal Government-approved option still holds sway.

Specifically, it says the 2016 admissions will be conducted purely on the three existing admission pillars of merit, catchment area and educational less developed states through prescribed processes.
The examining body said that the point system being peddled was a mere illustration made by the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

In a statement sent to The Guardian yesterday by Head, Media and Information of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board said rather than resort to the much touted point system, the Federal Government had approved the re-enforcement of admission guideline as recognised by law.
It continued, “This is not the point system as widely circulated in some media. It was meant to demonstrate how a few institutions were using the point system to select candidates while some of their counterparts were subjecting candidates to written test.

The body stressed that the 2016 admissions, as has been the practice in recent past, would be conducted purely on the three existing admission pillars.
The process is, “First, presentation of the list of candidates who qualify for screening into individual institution based on the three stipulated criteria mentioned above. This screening should not demand for another test in any form either written, oral or electronic.

“Candidates are to present their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results/Advanced Level (AL) results for verification and clearing purposes. WAEC, NECO and NBTE results or equivalent are acceptable as matriculation requirements.
“Each candidate is expected to have a minimum of five credit passes at SSCE including English language, mathematics and any other three relevant subjects to his or her discipline.

“The list of qualified candidates awaiting SSCE/AL results can be kept in view, pending the release of their results,’ adding ‘any candidate who does not posses the requirements as listed above is deemed to have failed the screening,” said the statement.
It continued, “Consideration of the recommended list as forward by JAMB should be completed within one month from the date of receipt of the list. Any institution that has a shortfall in the admitted candidates can make-up for candidates from other departments on the institutions list.

Reasons for rejection of candidates on the list should be clearly stated with proofs provided alongside, which it describes as imperative so that the general public will note the correct process.