NIGERIA: WE NEED AN EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION

I started a discourse on Nigeria's Lost People some days ago and did promise that I would do a sector by sector analysis and proffer solutions to the ailing areas of our national life.  The key component of my discourse is about the PEOPLE.  Nigeria is nothing without its great people but the people themselves can never truly be great if they are not treated like citizens.  Citizens have rights and privileges but in the case of Nigeria, it is difficult to define them as citizens; I prefer to call them "people" because they do not have what it takes to be called the former.

Today, I am addressing the challenge of EDUCATION in Nigeria.  From available statistics, more than half of our population which is a little above 150 million is uneducated.  That means the percentage of our literacy is a little less than 50%!  By saying that, we are being generous because education from the perspective I intend to look at it is beyond those who went to the University and got degrees.  The statistics refers to those who went through formal education and not even necessarily those who ended up with degrees.  The literacy level here are those who have the ability to read, understand and write legibly.  For all intents and purposes, that is not education.

A person can be said to be educated when he first of all passes through formal schools and gets the basic degree we refer to as "first degree".  In getting that first degree, it is assumed that he has a complete grasp of how things operate in terms of know-how.  He has a general idea of how things work and in his chosen field, he has on-the-spot, general overview of what obtains and with a little induction, he can run things smoothly and eventually add value. 

That is my understand of education with a first degree.  Such a person should be able to inter-relate well and have world-view of issues and participate in any sector of his country's socio-economic activities and make an impact.  Left without a job, this person should hold his own in his own private business and run things well. 

But alas!  That is not what education means in reality in Nigeria!  Those who are said to be educated and are almost amongst the 50% literate figure are actually half-baked individuals who hardly understand what they have read as a course in the University or even in the Polytechnics!  80% of Nigerian graduates cannot defend the certificates they carry.  It is a shame of monumental proportion. 

Most of the certificates that Nigerian graduates brandish are bought!  How do I mean?  They acquired such degrees through very dubious systems in place within the institutions that do not bother about impacting the mind of the students but ensuring they just pass examinations (and this through many malpractices) and they are awarded degrees at the end of the day. 

Where does the rot start from?

We do not have a sound primary education system in place.  90% of public schools, if not more are dilapidated and non-functional.  In Hausa parlance, someone called it "filin wasan yara" meaning "children's playground".  Nothing really happens at our public primary schools.  I have heard so much about Universal Basic Education Boards across the length and breadth of the country but each time I pass by a public primary school, I can hardly find any class with good seats.  I have also seen sorry sights in rural areas where children seat under thatched roofs called "classes" to learn!

If the infrastructure is dilapidated, then the teaching staff are also half-baked.  Our Colleges of Education are churning out certificated illiterates!  I visited one recently in company of a friend and she almost wept.  Students were actually seating on bare floor to be taught and when we listened closely, they were being taught in Hausa language!  What subject were they learning?  English!  Can you imagine the confusion?  When such people graduate and are employed in public primary or secondary schools, what do they have to teach our children?!

Our primary schools are in the state of decay.  Private schools came to the rescue many years ago but most of them are very unaffordable for the common man.  And the standards of many are falling because their number one motivation is wealth (money) not education. 

The Evil of Examination Malpractices

When people are not taught properly, and examination questions are set by those who assumed they have been taught well, the half baked students will look for ways and means to "pass" by all means.  Sensing the desperation by the students and even their parents, exam officials, school authorities and invigilators compromise standards and "pass" students after collecting bribes.  The high school graduate exams called WAEC or NECO in Nigeria is now in a mess.  It is currently holding and you can actually witness corrupt practices right on the streets across the schools where the examination is taking place!  Who is fooling who?  If you cannot defend the result you have, you still do not have value to offer and your life will still end up in vanity!

Who will bell the cat?

How shall we come out of this malady?  There has to be a total make-over.  An overall of the system by very patriotic and incorruptible Nigerians.  How can we find them?  They are available but they are in the minority but needs to be backed by the authorities to sweep the system clean.  Real education can become a reality in Nigeria if the government can condescend from its high political position of voting billions of naira establishing further universities and seeing to the quality of learning from the primary to the tertiary levels of education.  This rot has to stop.

No half baked Nigerian can compete favourably with his counterpart in other parts of the continent, much less stake a claim to any job in other parts of the world.  Is it not a shame for us as the most populous black nation on the planet that none of our Universities are listed amongst the first 100 in the world?  This calls for sober reflection.

It is time to sanitize the education sector.  This piece may not be exhaustive but if you want to highlight areas of rot in our education sector for the authorities to pay attention, kindly drop your comments below and we can find a way of putting them on public dormain.

The struggle is on....

Nigeria's Lost People

I have always avoided discussing national politics but I am always drawn towards issues that affect the well-being of the Nigerian citizens.  Bluntly speaking, Nigerians are the most patient people-group on the planet earth judging by the measure of patience which graduated to indifference and it is killing them in millions!  As we look forward to another date of May 29, 2011 when a new set of "leaders" I prefer to call "political employees" will take office; I find it expedient to x-ray with my audience the state of the Nigerian people.  Peradventure, some of these so-called leaders may have a renewed conscience to enter governance with a better spirit and carry out a total make-over of the system that will then guarantee a better deal for the Nigerian populace.

As I speak of the Nigerian people, I refer to the over 80% of men, women, young men & women, and children across the length and breadth of this great land who survive on less than $1 USD every day.  The $1 USD is a measly N150 Nigerian currency!  There are people who do not earn enough to survive on a dollar daily!  It is a hard reality but it is true.

I am sad to report to the shame of our land that with a petrol income running into billions of dollars, we cannot afford to adequately take care of the Nigerian citizens.  I am not suggesting people should be given money literarily to go and spend, no, far from it!  We simply do not have the right conditions that will engender a true  prosperous people even if they are engaged in personal enterpreneurship.

As a matter of fact, the Nigerian is about the most hard working person in all the world.  He practically survives on nothing... no electricity but he generates enough mental capacity to earn a living to buy a generating set against all odds; with dilapidated public schools practically not functioning, he ekes out money to send his children to "private schools" that have the ultimate desire of making money from establishing schools - a fad that exploded in our nation in the last 20 years and has become a big business with very loose regulations for standards from the education ministry!  To ensure a measure of comfort for himself and his family, he goes out in the morning and works all through the scorching sun and returns late in the night... and repeats this circle 7 days a week - with no recreation... when he is sick, he simply goes to a chemist!  A chemist is a patent medicine store that you take drugs off the shelf without prescription and they operate in their millions of units across the land - a unthinkable thing in nearby Niger Republic, Chad, Benin Republic or The Cameroon.  Most of the drugs are imported by uneducated medicine merchants who go into contractual agreements with Middle East and South East Asian Tigers to produce sub-standard drugs for sale in the Nigerian market - many citizens have died in the process.  Those who tried to fight the menace in the past were targets of assassination and those who run the regulatory agencies today to fight those who adulterate drugs are busy organizing music shows and seminars and the peddlers are back in full swing - 25 year olds building near-skyscrapers from monies amassed from fake drugs that are consumed in millions of tablets and cubic liters across the land. 

In spite of all these overwhelming odds with everything happening like there are no authorities, the Nigerian goes on with life and smiles and says "God dey!"  The Nigerian spirit is indefatigable, indomitable, unrelenting and totally bent on surviving!  But he is on his own!  

The politicians in Abuja and those who occupy gleam buildings across the 36 States are merely scratching the surface.  The real Nigerians that should be reached are totally on their own.  In the days ahead, I will be addressing critically sectors of the economy and social realms that puts the Nigerian at a serious disadvantage in his quest for a real life.  He is so potentially rich but lives in abject poverty.  There has to be a way of bailing out the lost Nigerians... join in the struggle.

THE RUSH IS ON! THE MILLION DOLLAR IDEA!

This post may not be what all my readers may be interested in.  However, it is one that when considered with a second thought and probably a third(?),  you might find it something worth taking a dive for.

This idea is primarily for my Nigerian readers directly and indirectly an idea that can be practiced anywhere else in the world.

Its post-election time in Nigeria and new job spaces are opening!

          These job opportunities are not for paid employment but for consultancy and contract services.  A whole lot of people have ideas in their heads of what service they want to render/provide for institutions and government agencies but have no idea of carrying them out.

          Governments in Nigeria, from the Federal to the Local levels have designated ways they operate.  If you operate outside their bureaucracy, you won’t get what you want.  But it starts from the putting of your ideas on paper and crafting it in formats that convey your thoughts professionally and shows the reader you actually know what you want to do for them!  Many do not have this wherewithal even though they have the technical know-how.

          Some of the job openings in the new regimes to be inaugurated across the length and breadth of Nigeria are many and varied.  Good enough, we have population as our strength in this country.  There are over 3,000 units of governments to be inaugurated across the land on May 29, 2011.  

At the Federal levels, there are over 30 ministries, plus the Presidency and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; motley of parastatals and agencies.  At the legislature, 109 Senators will come into office, complete with their paraphernalia and nearly 400 members of the House of Representatives. 

There are 36 State Governments and a full complement of Mayoral office at the Federal Capital Territory with adjoining Local Councils in 6 different locations.  We have over 700 Local Governments Councils spread across all geo-political zones.

These different government units will need services ranging from training consultancies, supplies of various kinds, interventions in the management of various activities and a whole range of media services.

Where do you fit in? Are you going to allow your skill set to whittle away as people rake in millions of Naira and Dollars from economic activities that billions of dollars have been voted for in Federal, State & Local Government budgets?  Yes, you can offer value adding services and earn legitimate income therefrom!  I am asking you to give this a deep thought.

How do you get involved?

That is where I come in with my crack team of highly resourceful people!  How do you package yourself to be relevant?  I want to help you get involved in the Dollar and Naira rain that is coming from May 29! 

1.   You must learn how to package a crazy and “un-rejectable” proposals that will ensure you are involved in the process.

2.   You need to acquire the needed speaking skills that gives you the wisdom of the sages that talks about hell in such a way that the listeners eventually might begin to prepare for the journey!  This however in the positive!

3.   Do you have the Business Plan skills to sell your idea to a banker who should fund your project that could attract further government attention?

4.   How do you get around catching the attention of always-busy-meeting-crazy government officials?

5.   How do you use the ICT tools available to sell your ideas and get amazing results?

Ok!  You don’t have any ideas at all!  We have a list of over 100 ideas to help you!  Some people have got links but no ideas.  You are reading from the right source!  

HERE’S THE DEAL

          Whatever your needs are, after reading this piece, rush to send me a mail at creslead@yahoo.com and let me have a complete dossier of what you need.  The number of mails we get within the next one week will help us to sort out locations of individuals, their peculiar needs and eventually set up training meetings, seminars and one-on-one sessions with those who need them with my team of Resource Persons fully equipped to deal with these issues.

          If you are outside the boundary limits of Nigeria, and you want us to attend to some of your needs, your mail will help us to package whatever you need in soft or electronic moods and wire to you.

OPPORTUNITIES EXISTS EVERYWHERE IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR MIND AND EYES OPEN!

          The poor in mind is the poor man indeed.  The man who has the idea and has got the know-how to carry it out has got no limits.  Together we can create wealth and kick poverty out of Africa and your life!  This you can do legitimately, following a legal process, putting your head to work and adding value to society.

          I am expecting your mail.

"Mr. President, It's Jack Bauer; 'Bin Ladin is down!"

The quote forming the title of my blog today is a typical phrase from the famous "24" movie series with CTU and Federal Agent, Jack Bauer as the lead actor.  The events of the last one week following the killing of the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Ladin has been totally sensational.  The tracking of the terror warrior to his hide-out deep inside the territory of Pakistan and right under the nose of the Pakistani military is more dramatic.  The special squad of the US Navy Seals flying under Pakistani radar and invading the massive mansion where bin Ladin was holed up for over five years is a military operation only conceivable by the aggressive search of the United States.

Yes, Osama bin Ladin is dead.  President Barack Obama did not just announce this to the world, the family of the slain fundamentalist has confirmed that to the Pakistani officials who have been interrogating them.  It is a sorry end for a 10 year search for a run-away fugitive from justice.

I am also not very surprised by the way some people in the Islamic world have reacted to his death.  I have heard some of them say that his death was a continuation of the United States' further harassment of Muslims in the world. Some even questioned the mode by which Bin Ladin was buried after US authorities announced that he was buried at sea. 

I am not completely a fan of the United States in terms of social justice as it applies to everyone on earth.  As a matter of fact, I have realized that the US do not have the same rule for everyone on the planet.  Like someone once said, the US does not have permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interests.  If only we can understand that this super-power nation operates on the basis of its permanent interests, then it should not be too difficult to rationalize the reason why it would support the invasion of Libya with other allies using the UN's passing of the "No Fly Zone" and almost totally ignore Ivory Coast where thousands had been killed months before and violence was still going on as two Presidents battled for the life of the nation!  The interest here is the oil.

So we can safely say that for the US, "no oil, no intervention".  As understandable as that is and arguably not acceptable as this is as a system for relating with the rest of the world, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that the same US has served as a protective covering for weak nations who have been threatened and continue to be threatened by stronger nations.  It is the reason why it cannot turn its eyes away from Iran's desire to arm itself with nuclear weapons.  The last time the late Saddam experimented with some chemicals in the 1980s, thousands were murdered in Kurdish Iraq raising questions about the use of nuclear weapons against innocent people by rogue leaders.

Fundamentalist Islamists who claim to represent the interests of the Islamic world have risen in the past and continue to rise today in defence of Islam by murdering innocent non-muslims around the world.  The late Osama Bin Ladin was an arrow-head of such movement with his Al-Qeada terrorist organization. In his life-time, he brutally murdered thousands of life and the high point of such acts of terrorism was the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States during which over 3,000 people died in a single day.  How can one rationalize this with the claim that they are fighting for God?  Can God not rise to His own Defence?  Who really can stand Him in battle?  Many well-meaning Muslims have also denounced Osama Bin Ladin's methods of advocacy and have stated that the man is giving Islam a bad name.

After all is said and done, we must all realize that no fundamental religious stand is strong enough to take the life of a human being made in the image of God.  Anyone, group of persons who continue to propagate this kind of warfare is anti-God and must face the full wrath of the law.  Incidentally, many people will be shocked when they face God on judgement day when He denies ever asking anyone to kill for His sake.

It is time for reaosn to prevail and those who are leaders in the religious circles around the world must properly educate their followers that they have no right to kill anyone for their faith.  Every human being is free to practise his or her religious beliefs and this should not be a subject of attack by those who feel otherwise.  Hey people!  Learn to mind your business!

"Mr. President, this is Jack Bauer embedded with the US Navy Seals, the target is down!  I repeat, Osama Bin Ladin is down!  We have is body in Custody.. its been an honour, Mr. President".

Another Date with the Ladies

In my last blog, I started a chit-chat with the ladies as a follow up to my discourse with the guys.  I want to round that up in this particular date with the Ladies. One major area where ladies flunk it in their relationships is the fact that they are over-emotional without bringing reasoning into play.  It is true that woman are 80% emotional and 20% reasonable but I believe strongly that ladies can bring a measure of balance in great deal to that assertion by taking time out to think things through before plunging into any relationship. 

Your life is more than a relationship

It hurts me a lot to realize and see in practical terms how some ladies tie up their destinies on the lap of a relationship whether it is headed any where or not.  The women tend to get their self worth from the relationship they enjoy.  This ought not so to be because in the real sense of the word, no particular person on the earth can fulfil your joy except you first of all accept your person and validate your God-given potential and find ways to begin to release that self-worth in practical terms.  Your life is not a relationship but a God-given gift that should be a blessing to any relationship you enter into.  No guy is worth your tears, no man is worth the troubles ladies give themselves.  Any man who does not give you true value should find his place and never again should your life be a dumping ground for the many CRY-BABIES that call themselves men.  Ladies do crazy things when they have this idea that their happiness depends on a man's expression of affection on them:

The need mentality:  When you notice that you are the one seeking out the guy when it should be the other way round, it is an indication that you giving him a need SIEGE mentality and because you come so needy and CHEAP, if he is not sincere, he will take advantage of you.  This becomes more pronounced when the ladies go out of their way to actually voice their needs of a man.  Ladies, watch this... get focused on your purpose in life... men will naturally seek you out and the quality of men who seek you will be equivalent to the level of discipline and carriage you create for yourself.  If someone is a tramp (a man that is), he will think twice before making a move for a purpose-driven, goal oriented young lady.

Sex as a bargain:  One lady once told me why she had to give a guy her body on a regular basis and I was alarmed and warned her to desist from doing so.  She simply wanted to give the guy the impression that she was all for him and refusing sex with him would make him change his mind about the relationship.  That is another level of slavery!  Why should another human take you for granted that much?  If he can get you to get to bed with him that easy, he will assume that every other jerk like him who comes along is going to have a free ride, therefore, he would not consider you faithful.  You see what I mean?  A lot of the men are not faithful - they cheat on their partners but they are the first to seek out a faithful girl.  Ladies must not fall for this trap.  If sex is a bargain tool, it is time to say bye to the union before it becomes a snare for you.

Don't bribe him with money:  I know there are many economically strong ladies today who would want to be in a relationship by all means.  They therefore do not mind spending for a guy to keep him.  However, if the guy is a gold digger, he might just want to be with you just for the cash.  There are many even in marriages today just for the cash of the lady.  If your money is spent on a guy to get him to like you, then you must keep spending to keep him.  Why would a man who wants to be a husband eventually not lift his finger and get something to do?  Even if the job he eventually gets is not as classy as that of the lady, there is always dignity in labour.  He should be able to come home with something that should pay the bills.  I know and understand the aspect of the shared responsibilities, but by all intents and purposes, the woman should never be a bread-winner but a helper at all times. 

How to win the attention of a true guy

1.  BE A LADY:  Ladies are emotionally self-sustaining and do not send out the wrong signals.  They maintain their self-worth by engaging in something dignifying in terms of earning a living and do not live a dependent life.  No matter how small what you are doing may look like, do it with all your heart and it will grow and create wealth for you.

2.   BE COURTEOUS & RESPECTFUL:  Being self-sustaining and maintaining a good self-image does not mean you must be saucy and disrespectful to men.  As a matter of fact, great ladies are cheerful people.  They are ready to help and would always be nice to be around with.  Many young women have missed the chance of getting into great relationships because they were saucy and not courteous at all even at work.  Not every man wants to take advantage of you, therefore, when some guy comes along and wants to take you out for dinner, do not snap at him like he is a devil.  Angels do not wear tags showing they are one.

3.  KEEP A GUARD OVER YOUR MOUTH:  ggGuys do not like being around ladies who talk at every opportunity.  Do you know what?  Nature abhors too much talk.  Women are supposed to be shamefaced.  Any one who talks at every opportunity gets into trouble easily and men wants to avoid being associated with ladies that get them into trouble with people often.  Great ladies want to be directed, led and told what to do.  That does not mean they are DUMMIES but because it is more respectful and dignifying to play your role as a delicate DAUGHTER of a King.

 It has been a pleasure having to speak to the hearts of ladies.  Can we do this next time?  Let me have your comments.