By Emmanuel Edukugho
Education is so fundamental, critical to nation building and human existence that formulation of policies must emerge out of the realities mainly directed to training of the intellect and pursuit of knowledge.

Approached within this kind of concept, the purpose of education should be to bring about both individual and national fulfilment, happiness as major factors in human capital development.

But what can be seen in 2010 and in the previous years is the loss of happiness in all ramifications manifesting in various societal vices, corruption, poverty, frustration and delusion.

As stated by Professor Gabriel Ogunmola, Chancellor, Lead City University, Ibadan, at the institution’s 3rd convocation in 15th December, 2010, a society must be specifically concerned about the needs and well being of its youth population. It was noted that the average age of Nigeria’s population is about 17 years.

“A nation or society is its people; it is a society of individuals. Where there is individual growth and fulfillment, there will be prosperity, enrichment and health within the society as a whole. On the other hand, when the individual is stifled, the society weakens and deteriorates.”

First and foremost, the Federal Government has neglected the issue of infrastructure. Lack of municipal facilities necessary to create an enabling learning-friendly environment for the educational system to thrive are root causes of the malaise. No water, power, access roads, libraries, security, poor ICT penetration, hostel accommodation grossly inadequate, etc.

There are no sufficient scholarships, bursaries, national internet facilities to aid research, lack of adequate functional equipment, training and research facilities that have caused the exodus of our best brains to other countries.

As at 2010, at the primary education level, enrolment, completion and progression rate are below 60 per cent with over 10 million children out of primary and junior secondary schools roaming about the streets.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2 and 3 emphasised education for both boys and girls. The goal is to attain a 100 per cent of both boys and girls in primary, secondary and tertiary education levels by the year 2015, five years away.

The MDGs also mentioned promotion of gender equality, empowerment of women, reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate for children under five years old, reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality rate, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and cut in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Secondary and tertiary education so far have failed to prepare students for the world of work. Most graduands don’t have marketable or entrepreneurial skills.

From all indications, it seemed tertiary institutions, especially universities are established simply as “degree mills”to produce graduates not minding if they are innovative, creative, inventive, productive or engage in research relevant to developmental needs of the society.

Many of them are turning away from the core values of excellence, merit, honesty, integrity, transparency, relevance, knowledge and research.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) had a busy time in 2010 trying to revitalise with renewed vigour, quality assurance, ensuring adherence to capacity carrying, sorting, admission racketeering, impersonation, promotion of research endeavours, curricula review for relevance, entrepreneurship education, accreditation of programmes/courses, regulation, control, academic benchmarks, licensing and establishment of new universities after satisfying stipulated guidelines and statutory requirements.

Some private universities started operations, while the federal government established nine new universities to be located in states which had no federal universities. But most stakeholders in the education sector believed that instead of creating new universities, the federal government should strengthen existing ones, troubled by poor funding, decaying facilities, obsolete equipment, lack of adequate infrastructure, overcrowding, unconducive teaching and learning environment, lack of modern, well stocked libraries, ICT, etc.

The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) under erstwhile Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, came up with a Road Map meant to revamp the sector based upon four focal areas.

These were Access and Equity; Standards and Quality Assurance, Technical, Vocational Education and Training, and Funding and Resource Utilisation. Designed to be implemented within two years, which would transform educational institutions in Nigeria into high performing ones to produce efficient, excellent, functional and self-reliant students.

The new Education Road Map provides for increase in budgetary appropriation to education at all levels to 25 per cent, close enough to UNESCO’s 26 per cent recommendation.

Since Professor Raquyyatu Rufai, was appointed Minister of Education in April 2010, she had neither taken positive action towards achieving the objectives of the road map which was acknowledged by her or introduced anything different. So, to a great extent, critical aspects of the document are not being implemented.

The FME is believed to be riddled with corruption and ineptitude, making impossible, serious efforts towards full implementation.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC Chairman, speaking at the 8th Convocation of Babcock University, Ilishan said that while education is a destiny in the important journey towards the sense of freedom and progress, “but, as the reality of our nation has shown, if we do not build this project of education on the important values of honesty, transparency and accountability, education itself can become a rapacious, self-consuming monster that nurtures nightmarish visions.”

Lecturers in all the universities owned by South-East governments of Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo embarked on an indefinite strike which started July 22, 2010 till now, to press home their demand for the implementation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement on salary, funding, welfare, etc.

The affected universities were Abia State University, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Evan Enwerem University, Anambra State University and Ebonyi State University. Also on strike over the same issue is Lagos State University (LASU), some others in the South-South and South-west.

The governors had refused to implement the agreement, claiming that state universities are not obliged to abide by the agreement, but meant for only federal universities. But the lecturers insisted that for a viable and standard university system in the country, state governments are expected to adopt the agreement as a bench mark of achieving the same set of academic standards. The agreement was negotiated between Federal Government and all the state branches of ASUU including federal and state universities. The governors said they don’t have funds to implement the agreement. And so the strike lingers on.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has de-listed the affected universities from the 2011 university entrance examination exercise due to the strike. Prospective students who chose the various universities were unable to proceed with the Post-UTME screening in 2010, the final year students did not partake in the last batch of NYSC, while also final year law and medical students lost their placements in the law school and housemanship respectively.

Crisis too rocked Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho as both Oyo and Osun states battled for the ownership of the institution.