Debasing Education in Nigeria

The government should address the fundamental issues plaguing tertiary institutions instead of creating new ones

The Federal Government recently approved the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Bonny, Rivers State, with a take-off grant of N1billion. The government has also created a new Federal Polytechnic at Ile-Oluji, Ondo State. Against the background that polytechnics in Nigeria have been closed for more than one academic session, we do not understand the basis for the action of the federal government beyond playing cheap politics. And it is sad that they would do such in a sector as critical as education.

It is more unfortunate that just recently, the Presidential Committee on Needs Assessment of Public Polytechnics and Colleges of Education painted a pathetic picture of the state of infrastructure at the existing institutions in the country. Rather than act on the report, the federal government has resorted to establishing new institutions that will end up in dire condition and as depressing as the ones on ground.

According to the Needs Assessment committee chairperson, Mrs. Hindatu Abdullahi, “some of the findings in the federal polytechnics generally reveal that all categories of physical facilities are grossly inadequate, while available ones are utilised beyond the installed capacity; some vital learning resources are not available, the enrolment policy of 60:40 ratio for science and art- based courses in colleges of education and 70:30 in favour of science/technology and arts/social sciences in polytechnics is not implemented,” adding: “In some institutions the teacher-student ratio is low, most of the institutions do not have on-campus hostel while available ones are overcrowded, poorly lit and not adequately ventilated and in a state of disrepair and municipal facilities are inadequate and in poor condition”.

The committee therefore in the report recommended to the federal government to ensure the completion of all abandoned and ongoing projects in all these schools; the rehabilitation and upgrading of facilities and infrastructure that are in the state of disrepair as well as provision of new students’ hostels through public- private partnership. It also recommended recruitment of qualified teachers and training/retraining of personnel, provision and upgrading of internet connectivity, telecommunication and information services and provision of essential learning resources/materials.

Because most of the existing polytechnics cannot discharge their basic functions of teaching, their standards have fallen as students find it increasingly difficult to access good libraries, decent research laboratories and modern technological gadgets which facilitate teaching and learning. The increase in the number of schools, as well as the drop in funding, has also adversely affected the quality of academic staff. That explains why today, no polytechnic in the country is ranked; and that is only half the story. Many of their products are barely literate. The functionally literate ones are considered non-creative and unproductive. The corporate labour market shuns them. Meanwhile they went through over 12 years of primary and secondary level education before finding their way to these polytechnics.

Just last year, the federal government gleefully announced the approval of three additional federal universities. This is apart from the  six federal universities established in each of the six geopolitical zones barely a year earlier. From the explanation proffered, the decision was taken not to advance knowledge but rather to pander to politics. Ironically, virtually all the existing universities are plagued by outdated and poorly equipped libraries, poor teaching facilities, inadequate lecturers with doctorate degrees, decaying infrastructure, poor student/lecturer ratio, absence of internet facilities, and non-conducive learning environment.

For a country in hurry to develop, and in dire need to catch up with today’s knowledge economy, Nigeria is too far behind in education. However, we consider the current approach whereby the president would just dish out some petty cash, and announce the establishment of a polytechnic or even a university, is not the best way to address a gnawing problem.