…..Why Education is a solution to the challenges faced in Nigeria
In recent years Nigeria has faced a range of challenges including high level of poverty political instability and insecurity. The country has also struggled to provide its citizens with access to quality education. According to the United Nations educational scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO), Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world with an estimated 10.5 million children not attending schools. Despite these challenges many experts believe that education has the potential to address many of the country’s problems.
Speaking on how education can promote National development especially political stability in the country, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, had in January 2022, called for an upward review of minimum qualifications for elective offices currently pegged at secondary school certificate.
According to him, “As we have reduced the age for eligibility to contest those offices so also, we should increase the minimum educational requirement. It will be another step in reforming our electoral system and providing strong leadership for the country”.
Meanwhile, former emir of Kano state, Muhammadu Sanusi II, in 2018 at the 6th convocation of the Nile University of Nigeria in Abuja, said that Nigerians must ensure they elect into public offices, leaders who “are educated and know the value of education”. Sanusi said Nigerians had made mistakes in the past by electing leaders without education, who subsequently could not give quality education when they got into the government.
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Going by the words of the former Emir of Kano state and that of Hon. Gbajabiamila, it is evident that if Nigerians get it right in terms of choosing leaders who are educated and value education, most of the aforementioned challenges will reduce drastically.
There is a significant relationship between national security and education. A cursory look at the atrocities of Boko Haram and bandits in the Northern region of Nigeria reveals high level or rate of illiteracy among them.
It is in the light of these that the emir of Kano State, HRM Lamido Sanusi admonished the elites of the region to establish schools instead of building Mosques. Also in a bid to help reduce the rate of illiteracy, the past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, established nomadic education and Al-Majiri schools in Northern region.
Again, education and economy are two concepts that cannot be separated from each other in terms of growth and development in Nigeria. The economy of Nigeria is not a stable one.
With education, there will be increase in human capital development as professional courses such as engineering, ICT and Economic. Citizens will develop the capabilities to handle economic related problems and proffer solutions to them. The technological innovations, production and industrial activities are basically carried out by those with the knowledge of how that particular section works this also will create job opportunities in various government and non-government sectors the more people are educated the better the economy because it is only through proper and adequate learning process that Genesis are discovered to handle one economic programs or another thereby providing employment opportunities, reduce poverty, boost agricultural activities, technological advancement and so on.
On the whole, while education may not be a solution to all of the Nigeria problems, it has the potential to play a critical role in addressing many of the country’s challenges by providing individuals with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, education can help to reduce poverty, promote public health and promote political stability.
