The miserable state of Tertiary Education in Nigeria .

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I am a Nigerian and I have first-hand information about the state of tertiary education in the country. I passed through the education system and whatever I am putting up here is nothing but the reality on the ground.

The problems faced by university education in Nigeria are multifaceted. Ranging from a dearth of infrastructure, low manpower, poor salary of lecturers, incessant strikes, and others.

The state of the University system is nothing to write home about as the majority of the people who can afford to school abroad do so, while those who cannot afford resort to private universities.

The political will to make tertiary education the best of its kind is rather absent as the political leaders have resorted to politicizing education. Whereas, the children of these leaders are graduating daily from overseas schools.

The most pronounced issue is the unending strikes by the University workers. This has been a terminal problem in the Nigerian university from its inception. This only point to the fact that successive government does not give recourse to the development of institutions of learning in the country.

The budgetary allocation to education is another indicator that education is not taken seriously in the country. From the 2022 budget for instance, out of the 14 trillion naira budget, education is given only a 5.4% allocation Which is pretty low for a country of about 2006 million people and half of the population is within school age.

Nevertheless, tertiary institutions across the country have been closed for about 8 months. There has been a disagreement between the federal government and the academic unions. This strike is a result of the porous state of the University's infrastructure hence hoping that the government will come to the rescue. This hope as however transcended to months after months strike.

Going around federal universities across Nigeria, one would notice similar challenges. Delipidated facilities, a classroom stuck with overpopulated students, expired lab appliances, and other maleficent tendencies. Things have fallen apart.

Every society is a product of its educational system. The growth and development of a country can be measured through its standards of education. The entire Nigerian system is bedeviled with massive corruption, nepotism, ethnocentric volution, neopatrimonialism, and sycophantic mesmerization. The citizens have become stooges in the hands of the leaders and poverty has eaten deep into the fabric of the country. The leaders have become unaccountable and all governmental institutions have been hijacked by powerful individuals. On the whole, one can describe Nigeria as a failed Nation

In other to revive the education sector in the country there are some fundamental things to be put in place.

first of all, there must be a political will to develop the Universities and bring them up to standard again. Outside this, every effort will amount to nothing. Both the government and the people must see the university as a brand that needs to be protected from disaster.

Secondly, all overseas education should be banned for now. Tertiary institutions would have been a better place for learning if the children of the leaders are schooling in the country. The fact is that no matter how the less privileged wail, it does not affect the wealthy, not until it affects them too, it will amount to nothing.

Also, Academic unions and workers in the country should be given their entitlements. Their salaries should be reviewed upward to encourage them to work harder.

All infrastructure should be updated to meet up with the current realities in the country.

The education budget should be given a fair share like 30% of the national budget.

If these are done, tertiary education in Nigeria will be the envy of people from other countries. Hence they will be eager to travel to the country for education.

Thanks.



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