Rejuvenating Nigeria’s Collapsed Educational System: The Roles Of Alumni And Old Students’ Associations

Akintokunbo A Adejumo

United Kingdom

The role of education, both qualitative and quantitative, in the development of any society has been vastly documented in academic dissertations, journals, books, newspapers, seminars and conferences all over the world, and it is not my intention to re-invent the wheel or revisit it here.

It has long been recognised that the survival of the Nigerian state, as a viable, progressive and democratic society will depend on the state or health of her educational systems – primary, secondary and tertiary – and how our political class and masters decide to grapple with the challenges this enormous task poses.

It is again well known that prior to the decadent 1980s and 90s, Nigeria used to boast of a vibrant, progressive and highly and widely recognised educational system which compared favourably with any educational system in the developed worlds, despite the fact that Nigeria was still classified as underdeveloped. Alas, since the early 1980s, our educational system has been bedevilled and moribund due to many factors and circumstances, most of which were not unconnected with our well-known and much-talked-about vices of corruption, insincerity of our leaders and other woes. In fact, the military governments we have had contributed so much to the collapse of our educational system than anything else. Could it be that this was a result of the low level of education achieved by these military cabal? Could it be as a result of tribalism and nepotism? Or was it just plain ignorance of these largely uneducated class of the enormity of the task at hand of recognising the importance of education in nation building?

Even recently, political leaders have decided to play politics with the nation’s education, and have continued to neglect this sector of governance. The result has been a moribund educational system and social paralysis. The consequences of these lapses are what we are witnessing today in “area boys”, cultism, armed robbery, very high unemployment, migration of our academicians and young people to other countries (brain-drain), under-development, and the general rot in the Nigerian society.

Today, I can consider myself lucky and proud to have passed through this same education system which had produced so many Nigerians (and even non-Nigerians) of note. I went through the primary, secondary and tertiary systems before proceeding abroad for further studies, when the Nigerian educational system was well very and highly recognised all over the world. In those days, even some qualifications from some Western and other countries were not recognised in Nigeria. Those were the days when recruiters from the USA, UK, Germany, Canada etc specifically come to Nigeria annually to recruit Nigerian graduates and non-graduates to work in their countries. Those were the days when Yaba College of Technology, Universities of Ibadan, Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo), Lagos, Nsukka, Benin, Ahmadu Bello University were household names on the lips of foreign countries. Those were the days when you can count up hundreds of very good secondary schools in the western and eastern parts of Nigeria with pride, with nearly all of them employing foreign teachers to complement the local teachers.

So what happened? The 1979 constitution made primary education the responsibility of the states and local councils. State and federal authorities have concurrent powers over post-primary education. The first six years of primary education were made compulsory in 1976. Recent years have seen a marked growth in educational facilities. Projected adult illiteracy rates for the year 2000 stood at 35.9% (males, 27.7%; females, 43.8%). As of 1995, public expenditure on education was 0.5% of GDP.

The advancement in education in the southern states, compared with the relative lag in the northern states, reflects the contribution of Christian missions to the Nigerian educational system. Teacher-training colleges are operated by missions or voluntary societies; their schools, however, are regulated and largely supported by the government. In 1994 there were 16,190,947 students in 38,649 primary schools, taught by 435,210 teachers. In secondary schools, 4,451,329 students were taught by 152,592 teachers. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was estimated at 37 to 1 in 1995.

According to Dike, 2002, although Nigeria's educational institutions in general are in dire need, the most troubled of the three tiers is the primary education sector. The statistics on primary education available to Dr Dike in 2002 showed that there were about 2,015 primary schools in Nigeria with no buildings of any type. Classes are held under trees. The quality of lectures conducted under such an inhumane condition would not be anything to be proud of. With this dismal statistics, the government is still in the habit of allocating less money to the educational sector (see Tables A). If Nigeria's allocation to education is compared with that of other less affluent societies in Africa, the picture becomes more discouraging (see Table B).

Table A: Federal Government Budgetary Allocation to Education

Year Allocation (%) Year Allocation (%)

1995 7.2 1999 11.12

1996 12.32 2000 8.36

1997 17.59 2001 7.00

1998 10.27

Table B: Spending on Education (%GNP) for some African Countries as compared to Nigeria

Country % GNP Country % GNP

Angola 4.9 Cote d' Ivorie 5.0

Ghana 4.4 Kenya 6.5

Malawi 5.4 Mozambique 4.1

*Nigeria 0.76 South Africa 7.9

Tanzania 3.4 Uganda 2.6

Sources for tables A & B: Extracted from, The African Dept; Reported by Jubilee 2000; Alifa Daniel: Intrigues in FG-ASUU Face-off; see The Guardian On-line, June 17, 2001. Compiled by Victor Dike, 2002.

I have tried to find more recent statistics, but have not succeeded, but from the above, the statistics were very grim indeed. Yearly allocation, which rose in 1996, started decreasing in 1998. It is quite possible that with our democratic dispensation which started in 1999, allocations had gone up, but unfortunately, up to the present year, we are yet to see or feel any impact. This is of course, attributable to bogus and insincere educational programs which had only served as conduits for transferring money to corrupt political leaders and their parasitic cronies. One of such program was the Universal Primary Education (UPE), which since 1996, has been nothing more than words on a piece of paper. And then came its successor with another high-sounding name, Universal Basic Education (UBE), launched amidst great fanfare by the Obasanjo Administration. Your guess is as good as mine as to what happened to this scheme. It has gone to the dogs.

A cursory glance at Table B above is even more disheartening, considering Nigeria’s position and wealth in Africa. At least as of 2001, Nigeria actually spent the least on the education of her people in Africa. Again, this statistics might have improved since then, but I doubt it, or if it has, what are we showing for all the spending? Again, take a wild guess.

In the 1970s and '80s the government attempted to found a university in every state, but, with the ever-increasing number of states, this practice was abandoned. Attempts by individuals and private organizations, including various Christian churches, to establish universities did not receive the approval of the Federal Ministry of Education until the 1990s. Since then, several private post-secondary institutions have been established.

Nigeria's educational system declined significantly in the 1980s and '90s. There was a shortage of qualified teachers, and the government was sometimes unable to pay them in a timely manner. Moreover, the number of schools did not increase proportionally with the population, and existing schools were not always properly maintained. This led to an increase in the number of largely unregulated private primary and secondary schools. Nigerian universities and colleges also often have inadequate space and resources, and semesters have been cancelled owing to campus unrest for reasons ranging from students protesting tuition increases to teachers and staff striking for higher salaries and better working conditions.

So what can we say? What with several of our politician-masters lying their heads off about their educational qualifications everytime, we can see that they really do place great premium on education, but do not want other people to be educated as they will pose a threat to their very existence and survival as a political thieving class. Anya, 2001 noted that “without a formidable intellectual base”, it is unlikely that any society will move forward. Democracy and progress thrive on the education and productivity of a people. Marzano et al, 1988 posited that democratic values are nurtured on fertile ground of basic education – a functional education with the right focus and correct scope. At this time in Nigeria, with the behaviour and attitude of its political leaders towards educating the people of Nigeria, it is not possible to have these values. If leaders can steal billions of Naira, meant for education and other areas of governance, we are kidding ourselves on developing the nation. The pittance sum invested on education on a yearly basis is not enough to produce creative and critical minds that we need to guide and manage democratic systems and survive as a viable nation (Dike, 2002). And as long as we continue to have these same parasitic and greedy, money-loving leaders, rejuvenating Nigeria’s educational system is made more and more difficult and the future remains gloomy indeed.

You see, the problem is that our leaders do not know, or are not versed, in the art of governance or leading. Not only these; they are ignorant, uncaring, selfish and uncompromising in their desire to steal the country blind. It is a kind of mental sickness – kleptomania, which has afflicted our leaders. And education is just one of many areas where they are lacking. So considering the other areas of neglect such as agriculture, health, provision of basic amenities, security of life and property, sports, children welfare, employment, transportation, etc, you can see that we are in very serious trouble with these people. Please, I am not trying to re-invent the wheel here, but we must keep on hammering it into their wooden heads. It is worthy of note that most of our political leaders and top civil servants are educating their children in Western countries’ primary and secondary schools, while the neglect of our own primary, secondary schools and universities in Nigeria continue.

Therefore, in education, as in other areas, Nigerians must not put their hands behind their backs or open our mouths expecting manna to fall from heaven. We must take our destiny in our own hands. I have always advocated community involvement in the socio-political, economic, educational and technological development of our country. We can no longer trust politicians or even technocrats to do it for us.

I see the emergence of viable, strong, and vibrant University Alumni and secondary school Old Students Associations as just one of many ways of taking our destiny in our own hands. These associations of former students of hundreds of academic institutions exist both in Nigeria and abroad. I have even seen a few old students associations of primary schools. However, while it is considered a laudable thing for old students to meet, reminisce over school days, have parties, renew acquaintances and introduce families, very few of these associations have really done a lot for their old schools.

Putting it succinctly, what are the Old Students associations of great schools like Kings College, Igbobi College, St Finbarr’s, St Gregory’s, Methodist Boys High, etc all in Lagos; Government College, Ibadan Grammar School, Loyola College, St Anne’s, St Theresa’s, Lagelu Grammar School, Our Lady’s, etc all in Ibadan; Christ The King College, Onitsha; Hussey College, Warri; Christ School, Ado-Ekiti; Olivet Baptist, Oyo; St Charles, Oshogbo; Aquinas College, Akure; Edo College, Benin; and so many others around the country, doing to remedy the dilapidation of their alma mater? It is quite clear that we can no longer leave these things to the politicians and Governments to sort out. They are not willing to do so, judging by their out-of-this-world unworkable policies and lies. They do not even know how to go about it. The roofs of classrooms are falling in; school buildings are falling apart; there is no running water or electricity; the laboratories have no equipment; the libraries are empty and not replenished with modern books; the boarding houses have been turned into other schools; shortage of teachers; no sports facilities; people have encroached on school land and built private houses on them; there is shortage of tables and chairs; virtually no computer education in most schools; there are no longer school buses and school meals; and so many things expected of a conducive learning environment.

I know a few associations in the UK and US (Loyola College, Ibadan; Ibadan Grammar School; Methodist College Uzuakoli Old Boys Association - UMCOBA-USA and a few others) who have been giving very valuable helping hands to their old schools, but these are not enough, simply because there is a limit to what they can do. However, what I have found is that many old students from our schools in Nigeria are in very good positions to help their old schools. Many old students still living in Nigeria are very rich, are in good positions in banking, industry, politics, government, yet they do not consider helping their old schools as a priority. The same goes for many Nigerians living all over the world who are very wealthy and can afford to donate thousand of pounds to refurbish a classroom block or two; or donate 50 computers; or donate money to buy books for the libraries of their old schools.

Is it not possible for the heads of banks and industries in Nigeria to sponsor their old schools, and practically rebuild it, with the millions and billions they are making or have access to? Would the Chairman of Globacom suffer a big hole in his pocket to donate only 10 million Naira to Ibadan Grammar School or to oversee a project where all classrooms will get new and modern tables and chairs and modern teaching equipment?

And speaking of Universities Alumni, these are even worse. I spent four good years at the University of Ibadan, and for the past 17 years living in the UK, I have never heard of the UI Alumni; nor for that matter, have I ever heard of the Alumni of Unilag, ABU, OAU, Nsukka, Uniben, etc. Correct me please if I have erred in this. I have not seen their websites, nor have I heard a call to a meeting. I guess what every Alumnus of these once-great universities think is that “Oh, it is not my problem that the University remains shut for 6 months of the year, that is the problem of Nigerian Government”. I used to spend 10 kobo, 20 Kobo and 20 kobo to have 3 square meals a day at the UI cafeterias. When Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo and Col Ahmadu Ali (now PDP Chairman) in their infinite wisdom decided to change this to 20-25-25 in 1978, we took to the streets shouting “Ali Must Go” which resulted in the lives of several students and non-students. I should know – I was actively involved and narrowly escaped arrest. Now tell me if 500 Naira is enough for just one meal today in our Universities, not to talk of other expenses. And the Universities, despite their funding by the Federal Government and the State Governments are a sight for sore eyes these days, having mushroom campuses all over the place. We know where all those billions, if indeed there are any, are going, don’t we? Tears of frustration welled up in my eyes the last time I visited UI and OAU. Sure the buildings are there, but look further and closer. Check the libraries, the lecture rooms, theatres, laboratories and the Halls of Residences, and what you see is un-arrested decay.

As far back as 1976, in the Agricultural Biology laboratories of the University of Ibadan, we used to be taught by Closed Circuit TV. Yes!! Very limited technology in those days in most countries in the world. Go and have a look now and see if these equipment are still functional. The University of Ibadan Farm? Don’t even talk about that. I am at a loss really as to how research students and scientists carry out researches to discover new things. I doff my hat to them for being able to survive under these harsh and de-motivating conditions.

The Old Students and Alumni Associations will definitely not be the panacea to all these problems, but they can certainly intervene positively. They can contribute to fund projects in their respective alma mater and most importantly, they can apply pressure on politicians, governments, industry leaders and individuals to start doing something as far as education is concerned. This is part of self-help and community building. Even old students and alumni abroad who have political ambitions can use this as stepping stones to boost their image and appeal to the electorates and constituents who will eventually vote for them based on what they have done for their community. Furthermore, old students and alumni abroad are in a position to appeal to the international community, overseas institutions and individuals to support and contribute to community and school projects in Nigeria e.g. sending computers, equipment, books, furniture, etc to renovate schools and universities. They can “pair” Nigerian schools and universities with schools aboard in an effort to seek donations of materials and exchange of students and scholarships. Some are already doing these, but we need more. Vibrant and forward-looking Old Students Associations and Alumni, whether in Nigeria or abroad, can also monitor funding and projects and ensure that such are not being diverted into individual’s pockets.

Finally, it is important that these associations do not neglect their alma mater. When you go home, visit your old school and try and see what is happening. Liaise with the staff regularly to know what their problems are, and try and give them the support they need. I believe that such old students and alumni associations are more important than town meetings and ethnic associations in nation building because, invariably you find that each school and university in Nigeria are composed of students from various ethnic and tribal backgrounds. We all owe our various alma mater for whatever education and position we have today. Do not let once-great secondary schools and Universities die because our leaders are not doing anything. If they won’t do it, let’s do it our way. Easier said than done, you will say, but believe me, it can be done with the right attitude and commitment.

Happy New 2008

References:

Anya, Anya O.,(2001) “The dreams, visions and myth of Nigerian reality” The Guardian, 19 June 2001.

Dike, Victor, (2002) “The state of education in Nigeria and the health of the nation”, Africa Economic Analysis. 05 February 2002.

Marzano, R.J.; Brandt, R.S.; Hughes, C.S.; Jones, B.F.; Presseisen, B.Z.; Rankin, R.C.; Suhor, C. (1988). “Dimensions of thinking: a framework for curriculum and instruction”. Alexandria: The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Virginia.

Akintokunbo Adejumo, a social and political commentator on Nigerian issues, lives and works in London, UK. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1979) and University of Manitoba, Canada (1985), he also writes on topical issues for newspapers and internet media including Nigeriaworld.com, Nigeria Today Online, Nigerians In America, Nigeria Village Square, Champions Newspaper, Gamji.com etc.

He is also the Coordinator of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA,(www.championsfornigeria.org) an organisation devoted to celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and Nigerians.