Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><p>On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donations and pledges totalling about ₦98.165 million from different individuals and groups. The PDP governors contributed ₦22 million—the full cost of the nomination and expression-of-interest forms. (<a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/2015-jonathan-gets-n98-165m-donations-for-nomination-form/">thenationonlineng.net</a>)</p><p>Less than two months later, on 20 December 2014, the governors again announced another large donation during a fundraising dinner at the Presidential Villa for Jonathan’s re-election campaign.</p><p>Each of the 21 PDP governors pledged ₦50 million, bringing their combined contribution to ₦1.05 billion. The entire fundraising event reportedly generated more than ₦21 billion. (<a href="https://www.icirnigeria.org/pdp-raise-n21-billion-for-jonathans-re-election-bid/">icirnigeria.org</a>)</p><p>This happened at a time of supposed austerity, when Nigerians were constantly reminded of falling oil prices and the need for governments to reduce spending.</p><p>Yet, at that same period, politicians appeared to be on a spending spree.</p><p>It may have been difficult to determine exactly what governors belonging to the opposition All Progressives Congress were contributing to their own party. However, the huge sums openly pledged by the PDP governors raised important questions about the sources of campaign donations and the priorities of political officeholders.</p><p>The governors and their supporters might insist that the donations came from personal or privately raised funds. Still, where public officials make such large political donations while workers in their states remain unpaid, citizens have every right to ask questions.</p><p>Whenever it is election season, governors seem to know where and how to raise money for campaigns. But when it is time to pay workers’ salaries and allowances, the familiar response is:</p><blockquote><p>“There is no money.”</p></blockquote><p>Several governors who made generous donations at the fundraising event had workers in their states complaining about unpaid salaries and allowances.</p><h2>The Situation of Teachers</h2><p>Benue State was particularly known at the time for disputes over the payment of workers and teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the state embarked on a prolonged strike over the government’s failure to implement the ₦18,000 national minimum wage. Public primary schools remained closed for about seven to eight months while the disagreement continued. (<a href="https://www.lawyersalertng.org/post/benue-of-primary-schools-teachers-strikes-and-wages">lawyersalertng.org</a>)</p><p>Teachers and other workers in several states, including Abia, Plateau, Ondo and Akwa Ibom, also complained at different times about delayed salaries and unpaid entitlements.</p><p>In Ebonyi State, teachers employed under a Universal Basic Education programme reportedly complained that they had not received their allowances or salaries for several months.</p><p>In Niger State, the planned recruitment of additional teachers in early 2014 was quietly suspended. Whether the decision resulted solely from a lack of funds may be difficult to establish, but the cancellation reflected the low priority often given to teacher recruitment and school staffing.</p><p>The contrast was difficult to ignore.</p><p>Governments claimed that there was no money to employ teachers, pay salaries or improve schools, yet enormous sums could be raised once election campaigns began.</p><p>It appeared that politicians were more prepared to save or raise fortunes for political activities than to meet the basic responsibilities of government.</p><p>Sadly, the education sector often became an easy target.</p><p>Teachers could be told stories, given promises and expected to continue working without pay. They were often treated as though demanding their salaries was an act of disloyalty rather than a legitimate request for money they had already earned.</p><h2>Teachers Are Not Doing the Government a Favour</h2><p>A teacher who goes to work every day without receiving a salary still has rent to pay, children to feed, transport costs to meet and other responsibilities.</p><p>How can such a teacher concentrate fully in the classroom?</p><p>How can the government demand dedication, professionalism and improved examination results from someone who has worked for months without receiving a salary?</p><p>The failure to pay teachers does not affect teachers alone. It affects their families, students and the wider education system.</p><p>A demoralised teacher is less likely to prepare lessons properly, purchase teaching materials or remain committed to the profession. Some may leave teaching entirely for other work that offers greater financial security.</p><p>Meanwhile, many politicians do not send their children to the same public schools affected by their decisions. Their children may attend expensive private schools or institutions outside Nigeria, while the public education system they are responsible for continues to decline.</p><p>Perhaps that is why they do not always feel the consequences of their actions.</p><h2>What Does Our Spending Say About Our Priorities?</h2><p>A government’s priorities are often revealed more clearly by how it spends money than by what it says in speeches.</p><p>A governor may publicly describe education as the foundation of development. But when teachers are unpaid, classrooms are overcrowded and schools lack essential facilities while political campaigns receive generous funding, the real priority becomes obvious.</p><p>Successful nations invest seriously in education. They do not treat the payment of teachers or the provision of school facilities as favours to citizens.</p><p>Education is a responsibility of government and an investment in the future of society.</p><p>If the truth must be told, Nigeria does not have an unlimited amount of time to correct these problems. A country that neglects teachers is gradually destroying the people who are expected to prepare its next generation.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>More than a decade after this article was first written, the names of the political leaders have changed, but the problem has not completely disappeared.</p><p>Nigeria’s national minimum wage was increased to ₦70,000 in 2024. However, reports in 2025 indicated that several state governments had yet to implement it fully for their workers, including teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory went on strike for more than three months over unpaid salaries and arrears. Teachers in Abia State also declared a strike over unpaid entitlements and concerns about the implementation of the minimum wage, while teachers in Taraba reportedly faced several months of salary arrears. (<a href="https://businessday.ng/news/article/unpaid-salaries-strikes-derail-nigerias-education-goals/">businessday.ng</a>)</p><p>At the same time, political parties and candidates continued to spend enormous amounts on nomination forms, campaigns, rallies and other election activities.</p><p>The lesson remains unchanged: whenever political leaders can find money for elections but cannot find money to pay teachers, the problem is not always the complete absence of resources. Sometimes, it is a question of priorities.</p><p>Teachers should not have to beg for salaries they have already earned.</p><p>Our politicians need a change of heart.</p></div> </div>

Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donati...

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English for Scammers: A Humorous Guide to Better Business Writing

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <p>Many of us are accustomed to receiving spam emails containing dubious claims, questionable proposals and offers that are simply too good to be true. The sole intention of the senders is usually to swindle unsuspecting recipients out of their hard-earned savings.</p><p>Sometimes, while reading through such messages, one is forced to ask:</p><p><strong>Did these people ever attend a basic English Language class?</strong></p><p>Their grammar is often so poor and their message so difficult to understand that one may delete the email before reaching the end.</p><p>However, if scammers wish to improve their fortunes—or at least improve their English—help appears to have arrived in the form of a handy book titled <em>English for Scammers</em>.</p><p>Before anyone misunderstands the title, the book is not actually intended to help scammers become better at committing fraud. It is a humorous business-English guide written by Dorothy Zemach and Chuck Sandy and published in 2014. Its real purpose is to help legitimate writers avoid the grammatical, structural and stylistic mistakes commonly associated with scam emails.</p><h2>Why “Nigerian” Scammers?</h2><p>You may have noticed the similarity between the original title of this review—<em>English for “Nigerian” Scammers</em>—and the title of the book.</p><p>Nigeria has unfortunately become strongly associated with advance-fee fraud, popularly called <strong>419</strong>, and with the activities of “Yahoo-Yahoo boys”, as internet fraudsters are commonly known.</p><p>The expression “Nigerian letter scam” became internationally recognised because of fraudulent messages claiming that large sums of money needed to be transferred out of Nigeria. In such schemes, the recipient is promised a share of the money but is first required to pay certain fees or provide banking and personal information.</p><p>However, internet fraud is not limited to Nigeria or Nigerians. Similar scams are operated from different countries, and even the so-called Nigerian-letter format has been used by fraudsters outside Nigeria.</p><p>The quotation marks around “Nigerian” in the original title are therefore important. The intention is not to suggest that fraud is a Nigerian profession, but to reflect on the damaging reputation created by those Nigerians involved in it.</p><h2>What the Book Examines</h2><p><em>English for Scammers</em> contains genuine examples of correspondence similar to the messages commonly sent by scammers.</p><p>The examples are analysed for their:</p><ul><li><p>format;</p></li><li><p>tone;</p></li><li><p>forms of address;</p></li><li><p>spelling;</p></li><li><p>punctuation;</p></li><li><p>capitalisation;</p></li><li><p>grammar;</p></li><li><p>sentence structure; and</p></li><li><p>suitability for formal business communication.</p></li></ul><p>In other words, the book examines the small details that can make a letter appear professional—or immediately suspicious.</p><p>If you are lucky enough to be a scammer, one or more of your messages may even have found its way into the book. You may need to read it again!</p><p>That, of course, is said in jest.</p><p>The book is not recommending fraud. It uses the strange and often exaggerated language of scam correspondence to teach legitimate writers how to communicate more effectively.</p><h2>Not Only for Scammers</h2><p>The book, available <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/408740">here</a>, takes readers through the step-by-step process of writing an acceptable business letter. This is what makes it useful to non-scammers as well.</p><p>Its stated purpose is to help readers avoid writing like scammers and prevent their genuine business emails from ending up in the recipient’s junk folder. It teaches readers how to write clear, direct and appropriate business correspondence.</p><p>This is particularly important for small-business owners and entrepreneurs.</p><p>A person may have a legitimate proposal or genuine business opportunity, but the email may still be ignored if it contains:</p><ul><li><p>an unclear subject line;</p></li><li><p>an inappropriate greeting;</p></li><li><p>excessive capital letters;</p></li><li><p>spelling and grammatical mistakes;</p></li><li><p>an exaggerated story;</p></li><li><p>an unrealistic promise;</p></li><li><p>unnecessary references to religion or charity;</p></li><li><p>an urgent demand for action; or</p></li><li><p>a suspicious request for money or personal information.</p></li></ul><p>Such mistakes can make an honest message resemble a scam.</p><p>Therefore, anyone involved in legitimate business communication should understand the common features of fraudulent messages and avoid reproducing them.</p><p>In that respect, <em>English for Scammers</em> could become a useful companion.</p><h2>Structure of the Book</h2><p>The book contains eight chapters, and each chapter ends with exercises that can be used for self-study.</p><p>The exercises may also be useful in business-letter writing classes and professional training programmes. A final examination at the end of the book allows readers to review what they have learnt.</p><p>The approach is humorous, but the lessons are practical.</p><p>Readers learn not only how to correct grammatical errors, but also how to use an appropriate tone and organise a message in a way that inspires confidence.</p><h2>My Personal Experience</h2><p>On a personal note, the book was a useful and gentle refresher on how to write—and how not to write—a formal or business letter.</p><p>Formal-letter writing was something I had last studied several years earlier during my secondary-school days. Reading the book therefore reminded me of many small but important rules that are easily forgotten.</p><p>It is a book I hope to keep for a long time. It could save me considerable trouble if I ever need to write a business proposal, formal request or professional offer.</p><p>I would particularly recommend it to business start-ups, students and anyone who communicates with customers or organisations through email.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>The book’s basic lessons remain useful, but online scams have become more sophisticated since it was published.</p><p>Poor grammar and strange spelling may still be warning signs, but they should no longer be treated as the only indicators of fraud. Modern scammers can produce grammatically correct messages, copy official logos and impersonate recognised companies or government agencies.</p><p>A well-written email can still be fraudulent, just as a poorly written email may come from a legitimate person who is not fluent in English.</p><p>The most important questions are therefore:</p><ul><li><p>Is the sender’s identity verifiable?</p></li><li><p>Does the email address match the organisation being represented?</p></li><li><p>Is the offer realistic?</p></li><li><p>Is the sender asking for money or sensitive information?</p></li><li><p>Is there unnecessary pressure to act immediately?</p></li><li><p>Can the information be confirmed through an independent and official channel?</p></li></ul><p>Good English can make a legitimate business message more credible, but good English alone does not make a message genuine. </p><h2>Disclaimer</h2><p>This is not a paid review. It is my personal assessment of the book.</p><p>I received a coupon for a free copy from the authors during the closing days of <em>College Writing</em>, an online English course taught on the edX platform by one of the book’s authors.</p></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNTMKV9D_0eOjey2_JNLUp734s9pGi61e8sRgAKM5K8Rn5LIx08LeOtIhkvPvjLpmJThrUFNql-ygOB-OjB7x28hIWJAluuPHNH23fK97wRIU5wXFOderPQgr7bDtNFUAtFG8zwN1THc/s640/21433328-picsay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="English For Scammers Nigerian Scammers yahoo yahoo boys" border="0" height="400" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNTMKV9D_0eOjey2_JNLUp734s9pGi61e8sRgAKM5K8Rn5LIx08LeOtIhkvPvjLpmJThrUFNql-ygOB-OjB7x28hIWJAluuPHNH23fK97wRIU5wXFOderPQgr7bDtNFUAtFG8zwN1THc/s640/21433328-picsay.jpg" title="English For Scammers" width="266" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div> </div> <!--Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Flh5.ggpht.com%2F-1UQeIKsGMAk%2FU2MqShe743I%2FAAAAAAAAAGA%2FJ4zF4EyeMAg%2Fs640%2F21433328-picsay.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNTMKV9D_0eOjey2_JNLUp734s9pGi61e8sRgAKM5K8Rn5LIx08LeOtIhkvPvjLpmJThrUFNql-ygOB-OjB7x28hIWJAluuPHNH23fK97wRIU5wXFOderPQgr7bDtNFUAtFG8zwN1THc/s640/21433328-picsay.jpg"-->

English for Scammers: A Humorous Guide to Better Business Writing

Many of us are accustomed to receiving spam emails containing dubious claims, questionable proposals and offers that are simply too good ...

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Why Are We Being Wicked to the Chibok Schoolgirls?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><h2>A Nation United in Tragedy</h2><p>Recently, the small nation of South Korea suffered a disaster involving a ferry that sank with hundreds of schoolchildren on board. In the wake of the accident, the nation went sober, and there was widespread anger directed at the government, the captain of the ship, disaster-management teams and all parties that might have been involved in regulation and rescue.</p><p>It was a disaster of “national scale”, especially because of the hundreds of schoolchildren involved. Media houses in the country minimised their reporting on other matters to provide up-to-date information on the tragedy. The resources and technological wealth of the country were mobilised towards the rescue effort.</p><p>The pages of the nation’s newspapers were filled with up-to-date photographs of grieving parents, divers involved in the rescue effort and the remains of the ship as it sank further into the sea. International news organisations also played their part by keeping the world informed and independently investigating the likely cause of the accident.</p><p>Essentially, the entire nation was consumed by the tragedy. An article published by Reuters summed up the emotional mood of the country as the lifeless bodies of some of the children were pulled from the sunken ship.</p><h2>A Different Response in Nigeria</h2><p>Compare that incident with some recent events in Nigeria.</p><p>Hundreds of schoolchildren have been murdered in cold blood. Some were butchered, while others were burnt alive in their dormitories. Yet, the government remained indifferent. In fact, the nation’s president even attended a political gathering barely a week after one of such incidents—a reminder of the insensitivity of those in power and the wider insecurity troubling the country, particularly the North-East, where Boko Haram fighters operated with near impunity.</p><p>More troubling is the fate of the more than 200 schoolgirls recently abducted from their school in the small town of Chibok, Borno State.</p><p>The girls have been in the hands of their captors for weeks—most probably being abused—yet the nation pretends as though “all is well”.</p><p>To further aggravate the pain of the victims’ families, a few days after the kidnapping and barely 24 hours after a major bomb blast near Abuja claimed scores of lives, President Goodluck Jonathan attended a political rally in Kano State. He was pictured celebrating with his political associates before a cheering crowd.</p><p>No brief visit was made to Chibok, the school or the families of the abducted girls.</p><h2>Public and Media Indifference</h2><p>The Nigerian population has also been largely indifferent. There has hardly been any major protest demanding the freedom of the girls.</p><p>While international media organisations such as Al Jazeera have continued to update viewers on the girls’ fate and interview government officials, our local news has been filled with political events, proceedings of the ongoing National Conference and other less urgent matters.</p><p>Only a few organisations, such as <em>Premium Times</em> through its editorial, have made strong statements on the matter, registered their protests and called for mass action until the government takes substantial steps to free the girls from their abductors.</p><h2>The Danger of Remaining Silent</h2><p>To sum things up, this is a nation ruled by the wicked and populated by divided people.</p><p>Children are being kidnapped, maimed and killed in horrific ways, yet some people still find reasons to blame the victims—probably because it is not happening within their own “safe zones”.</p><p>Nobody wants to act because they feel comfortable and unconcerned about events elsewhere. Yet, experience has taught us repeatedly that what goes around may eventually come around.</p><p>Pastor Martin Niemöller captured this danger in the following words:</p><blockquote><p>“First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.<br />Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.<br />Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.<br />Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”</p></blockquote><h2>The Time to Act Is Now</h2><p>Your time to act from your comfort or “safe zone” is now.</p><p>Use your Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and every other social-networking account available to you to support mass action for the freedom of the more than 200 schoolgirls in captivity.</p><p>Make a difference. Use the popular hashtag <strong>#BringBackOurGirls</strong>, or any other platform available to you, to campaign for the freedom of the girls.</p><p>Act now.</p><p>Save our girls. Save our future!</p><h2>Update: The Continuing Kidnapping of Schoolchildren</h2><p>In the years since this tragedy, some of the abducted girls have been rescued or released through negotiations, but many remain unaccounted for.</p><p>Disturbingly, the pattern of targeting schoolchildren has continued across Nigeria. From mass abductions in states such as Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger to more recent cases of school kidnappings, these incidents show that the crisis is far from over.</p><p>Schools—once considered safe spaces—have become targets, and families across the country now live in fear. The need for sustained attention, accountability and decisive action to secure the freedom and safety of all affected children remains urgent.</p></div> </div>

Why Are We Being Wicked to the Chibok Schoolgirls?

A Nation United in Tragedy Recently, the small nation of South Korea suffered a disaster involving a ferry that sank with hundreds of schoo...

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My First Online Course with edX: Challenges, Learning and a Certificate

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><p><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post reflects my experience with edX during the early years of Massive Open Online Courses, when online learning was still unfamiliar to many Nigerians and challenges such as expensive data, unstable 3G connections and limited mobile-device compatibility were common. Much has changed since then, but the post remains a personal record of the introduction of MOOCs and my early experience of learning online.</p></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLPan0NCygGMNgH-i7I8vHyWDEiuJdoLrJyPPHAWb5UFmp3_8eQkBhQQuyl4fWJidxeXCUMvBzqZjST57oKTFuOUUgtuDh6N2dm3r6Z38qqAr2J-2gv5ME6Tg8aLq9ExyhXr1cBc105Y/s1600/295px-EdX.svg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="edx courses, logo" border="0" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLPan0NCygGMNgH-i7I8vHyWDEiuJdoLrJyPPHAWb5UFmp3_8eQkBhQQuyl4fWJidxeXCUMvBzqZjST57oKTFuOUUgtuDh6N2dm3r6Z38qqAr2J-2gv5ME6Tg8aLq9ExyhXr1cBc105Y/s1600/295px-EdX.svg.png" title="edx logo" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>Studying online and earning a certificate was still unimaginable to many people at the time. Although I did not doubt the possibility of earning a verifiable certificate from an online course, like many others, I never imagined that the experience would be anything close to that of a “real” classroom until I joined edX.</p><p><em>Click here to read more about edX, the available courses and how to </em><a href="http://www.akomst.blogspot.com/2013/11/study-online-for-certificate-at-harvard.html?m=1">register</a><em>.</em></p><p>Having successfully completed my first online course and earned a certificate for my achievement, I was excited to share my personal experience with edX—the platform on which I enrolled as a virtual student.</p><p>edX is a Massive Open Online Course platform that offers courses in diverse areas of interest, taught by universities and other educational institutions from around the world.</p><h2>Choosing a Course</h2><p>After an initial rush in which I registered for several courses related to my interests, I eventually settled for only one because of challenges I had not anticipated.</p><p>Every course had its own requirements and prerequisites, which students were expected to possess to understand the course and meet the minimum grade required for a certificate.</p><p>I dropped some courses along the way when I discovered that I did not possess the necessary materials or prerequisites. More importantly, I faced challenges relating to internet connectivity and time.</p><p>I finally settled for <strong>ColWri 2.2x: Principles of Written English</strong>. It had relatively simple entry requirements but was not short of quality or standard. In fact, it was quite engaging, even for someone who already spoke English.</p><h2>Internet and Data Challenges</h2><p>Like the other courses, lecture videos were released each week, and every student was expected to watch them either by streaming or downloading them for offline use.</p><p>My main challenge was streaming the videos. The 3G service provided by the mobile networks in my area was either unavailable or unstable, so I had to download the videos and watch them offline.</p><p>However, edX lecture videos were of high resolution and quality. As a result, the files were large, and downloading a single video could take hours, sometimes with several failed attempts.</p><p>The video sizes created another problem. Since I depended on my Android smartphone throughout the course, my monthly data subscription could not cope with regular video downloads. I sometimes had to use a friend’s BlackBerry device because BlackBerry data subscriptions were relatively cheaper and offered more data at the time.</p><p>Even after downloading the videos, it took me some time to work out how to watch them. The default video players on many phones did not support the resolution or format of the edX videos. In my case, I only solved the problem after installing a third-party application, MX Player.</p><p>Some courses provided transcripts of each video. However, transcripts were not always a complete substitute for watching the lectures.</p><h2>Assignments and Time Constraints</h2><p>Most videos focused on a particular topic and were accompanied by homework.</p><p>Each assignment had a submission deadline. Students could also be required to read additional materials on the platform or an external website before answering the questions.</p><p>These activities could be time-consuming. In fact, lack of time almost made me withdraw from all my courses.</p><p>I eventually dropped every other course except ColWri because I was repeatedly missing assignment deadlines.</p><p>For ColWri, I was able to meet the deadlines by devoting my weekends—when I was less busy—to watching videos, reading course materials and completing the homework.</p><p>In the end, I earned a certificate.</p><h2>What I Gained from the Course</h2><p>My experience with ColWri was thrilling. It completely changed my view of online learning.</p><p>The course was challenging, not only because of poor internet connectivity and limited time, but also because of the effort, skills and intelligence expected from each student.</p><p>Apart from earning a certificate, enrolling in ColWri contributed to my personal development. I was privileged to learn new things while improving what I already knew.</p><p>A post on this blog, <strong>“Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem,”</strong> was originally written as a draft essay and submitted for assessment during the course.</p><p>The essay was edited several times, thanks to the innovative peer-review system used on edX and the useful editing techniques taught during the course.</p><p>It was therefore a journey of learning, personal development and improvement.</p><p>At the time, I was also enrolled in <strong>Medicinal Chemistry</strong> on edX, and I could confidently say that I was learning. I hoped to share that experience in the future.</p><p>As a way of displaying my achievements and encouraging others to enrol in courses related to their interests, I also created a dedicated page on this blog as a hall of certificates from online courses.</p><p><em>Click here to view my certificate or certificates.</em></p><h2>Update: Online Learning and edX Today</h2><p>Online learning is no longer as strange as it appeared when this article was first written. Students and professionals now regularly use online courses, video lessons, virtual classrooms and other digital learning platforms to acquire knowledge and workplace skills.</p><p>The edX platform has also changed. Learners can still audit many courses without paying, although free access may be limited to selected materials and a particular period. Graded assignments, examinations and verified certificates are generally available through the paid verified track. Financial assistance may also be available for some eligible courses.</p><p>The course I took, College Writing 2.2x, is still represented on edX through a course now listed as <strong>Academic and Business Writing</strong>. Its description continues to identify it as College Writing 2.2x and focuses on academic and business writing, grammar, vocabulary, revision and editing.</p><p>Internet access and smartphones have also improved considerably since my first experience, although data costs, unreliable connections, electricity and access to suitable devices remain challenges for many Nigerian learners.</p><p>The tools may have improved, but the basic lesson from my experience remains the same: online learning requires commitment, time management and a willingness to overcome challenges.</p><p>A certificate is valuable, but the knowledge and personal development gained during the learning process are even more important.</p></div> </div>

My First Online Course with edX: Challenges, Learning and a Certificate

Editorial note: This post reflects my experience with edX during the early years of Massive Open Online Courses, when online learning was ...

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The 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service Recruitment Exercise and Its “Killer Questions”

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post reflects the controversy surrounding the 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise, which resulted in deaths and numerous injuries at overcrowded test centres. The questions below were reproduced from those reportedly given to candidates at one of the centres. Some appear incomplete or contain errors, possibly from the original test or their later transcription.</span></p></blockquote><h2>A Recruitment Exercise of National Shame</h2><p>The 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise, which resulted in numerous injuries and deaths, was described in many ways: <strong>“the killer recruitment exercise”, “a show of national shame”</strong> and <strong>“a job seekers’ reunion and parade”</strong>, among others.</p><p>Equally disturbing were the “killer questions” given to candidates during the test.</p><p>Candidates were required to answer 30 questions within 30 minutes—an average of only one minute per question. Yet, according to the instructions, each question required “a certain amount of critical reasoning and thinking on the part of the candidate”.</p><p>Many candidates, rather than leave the questions unanswered, randomly shaded options before submitting their papers.</p><p>As one candidate remarked to me after the test:</p><blockquote><p>“Not even the Controller-General of the Service could answer these questions in 30 minutes.”</p></blockquote><p>The questions reproduced below are not the complete set of 30 questions given to university graduates at one of the centres.</p><p>You may, however, have some fun brainstorming them.</p><h2>Family Relationship Questions</h2><p>A genealogist has determined that M, N, P, Q, R, S and T are the father, mother, aunt, brother, sister, wife and daughter of X, but she has been unable to determine which person has each status.</p><p>She knows that:</p><ul><li><p>P and Q are of the same sex.</p></li><li><p>M and N are not of the same sex.</p></li><li><p>S was born before M.</p></li><li><p>Q is not the mother of X.</p></li></ul><h3>Question 1</h3><p>How many of the seven people—M, N, P, Q, R, S and T—are female?</p><p>A. 3<br />B. 4<br />C. 5<br />D. 6<br />E. 7</p><h3>Question 2</h3><p>Which of the following must be true?</p><p>A. M is female.<br />B. N is female.<br />C. P is female.<br />D. Q is male.<br />E. S is male.</p><h3>Question 3</h3><p>If T is the daughter of X, which of the following must be true?</p><p>A. M and P are of the same sex.<br />B. M and Q are of the same sex.<br />C. P is not of the same sex as N.<br />D. R is not of the same sex as S.<br />E. S is not of the same sex as T.</p><h3>Question 4</h3><p>If M and Q are sisters, all of the following must be true except:</p><p>A. N is male.<br />B. M is X’s mother.<br />C. Q is X’s aunt.<br />D. T is X’s daughter.<br />E. S is not X’s brother.</p><h3>Question 5</h3><p>If S is N’s grandfather, which of the following must be true?</p><p>A. R is N’s aunt.<br />B. X is P’s son.<br />C. M is X’s brother.<br />D. Q is S’s husband.<br />E. P is N’s aunt.</p><h3>Question 6</h3><p>If M is X’s wife, all of the following could be true except:</p><p>A. S is X’s daughter.<br />B. P is X’s sister.<br />C. Q is X’s sister.<br />D. R is X’s father.<br />E. N is X’s brother.</p><h2>The Farmer and His Fields</h2><p>A farmer has three fields—1, 2 and 3—and is deciding which crops to plant. The crops are F, G, H, I and J.</p><ul><li><p>F will grow only in Fields 1 and 3. For F to grow, fertiliser X must be used.</p></li><li><p>G will grow in Fields 1, 2 and 3. For G to grow, fertiliser X must be used.</p></li><li><p>H will grow in Fields 1, 2 and 3. For H to grow in Field 3, fertiliser Y must be used.</p></li><li><p>I will grow only in Fields 2 and 3. For I to grow in either field, pesticide Z must be used.</p></li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>Note:</strong> No condition was provided for crop J in the reproduced question. This makes some of the questions difficult to answer reliably.</p></blockquote><h3>Question 7</h3><p>Which of the following pairs of crops can be grown together in Field 1?</p><p>A. F and G<br />B. F and J<br />C. G and H<br />D. J and H<br />E. J and G</p><h3>Question 8</h3><p>Which of the following groups of crops can be grown together in Field 2?</p><p>A. F, G and H<br />B. F, H and I<br />C. G, H and J<br />D. G, I and J<br />E. H, I and J</p><h3>Question 9</h3><p>Which of the following is a complete and accurate list of crops that will grow alone in Field 2 if the only pesticide or fertiliser used is Y?</p><p>A. F<br />B. F and H<br />C. G and H<br />D. G, H and J<br />E. G, H, I and J</p><h3>Question 10</h3><p>Which of the following pairs of crops will grow together in Field 3 if no fertiliser or pesticide is applied?</p><p>A. F and H<br />B. F and I<br />C. G and H<br />D. G and I<br />E. H and J</p><h3>Question 11</h3><p>What is the maximum number of different crops that can be planted together in Field 3?</p><p>A. 1<br />B. 2<br />C. 3<br />D. 4<br />E. 5</p><h3>Question 12</h3><p>Which of the following is a complete and accurate list of crops that will grow alone in Field 2 if only one pesticide or fertiliser is applied?</p><p>A. H and J<br />B. I and G<br />C. I and H<br />D. I and J<br />E. J and G</p><h2>Quantitative Reasoning Questions</h2><p>The instructions stated:</p><blockquote><p>“The problems in this test involve a certain amount of critical reasoning and thinking on your part. Read each question carefully and choose the correct answer from the multiple choices that follow.”</p></blockquote><h3>Question 13</h3><p>A national travel survey in 2007 found that Nigerians made 382.6 million trips within and outside the country. Lagos was the destination of 38 million trips.</p><p>Approximately what percentage of the trips had Lagos as their destination?</p><p>A. 0.01%<br />B. 0.1%<br />C. 1%<br />D. 3.8%<br />E. 10%</p><h3>Question 14</h3><p>The taxi fare was ₦1.00 for the first mile and ₦0.20 for each additional one-fifth of a mile.</p><p>What was the fare for a three-mile journey?</p><p>A. ₦1.56<br />B. ₦2.40<br />C. ₦3.00<br />D. ₦3.80<br />E. ₦4.20</p><h3>Question 15</h3><p>A warehouse had a square floor with an area of 10,000 square metres. A rectangular extension was built along one entire side of the warehouse, increasing the floor area by half of the original area.</p><p>How many metres did the extension project from the original building?</p><p>A. 10<br />B. 20<br />C. 50<br />D. 200<br />E. 500</p><h3>Question 16</h3><p>A digital wristwatch was set accurately at 8:30 a.m. It then lost two seconds every five minutes.</p><p>What time would the watch indicate at 6:30 p.m. on the same day, assuming it operated continuously?</p><p>A. [Option missing]<br />B. 5:58 p.m.<br />C. 6:00 p.m.<br />D. 6:23 p.m.<br />E. 6:26 p.m.</p><h3>Question 17</h3><p>A merchant sells an item at a 20 per cent discount but still makes a gross profit equal to 20 per cent of its cost.</p><p>What percentage of the cost would the gross profit have been if the item had been sold without the discount?</p><p>A. 20%<br />B. 40%<br />C. 50%<br />D. 60%<br />E. 75%</p><h3>Question 18</h3><p>Each step of a staircase is 0.25 metres wide and 0.20 metres high, as shown in the figure. All the angles in the figure are right angles.</p><p>If the staircase is 3.6 metres high and the landing at the top is one metre wide, how long, in metres, is AB?</p><p>A. 3.0<br />B. 4.25<br />C. 4.5<br />D. 5.25<br />E. 5.5</p><blockquote><p><strong>Note:</strong> The figure referred to in this question was not provided to the candidates in the reproduced copy.</p></blockquote><h3>Question 19</h3><p>The table above shows the number of tickets sold during each of the first four weeks after a film was released.</p><p>The producer received 10 per cent of the revenue from every ticket sold, with a guaranteed minimum payment of ₦200,000 each week for the first four weeks.</p><p>If each ticket sold for ₦4, how much did the producer receive during the first four weeks?</p><p>A. ₦800,000<br />B. ₦900,000<br />C. ₦1,000,000<br />D. ₦1,200,000<br />E. ₦1,300,000</p><blockquote><p><strong>Note:</strong> The table required to answer this question was not provided in the reproduced test.</p></blockquote><h3>Question 20</h3><p>Equal stacks of chips are to be made from nine red chips, seven blue chips and five green chips.</p><p>If all the chips are used and each stack contains at least one chip of each colour, what is the maximum number of red chips that can be placed in any one stack?</p><p>A. 7<br />B. 6<br />C. 5<br />D. 4<br />E. 3</p><h3>Question 21</h3><p>Three automobiles travel distances in the ratio 1:2:3. Their travelling times are in the ratio 3:2:1, respectively.</p><p>What is the ratio of their average speeds?</p><p>A. 1:1:1<br />B. 1:3:3<br />C. 1:3:9<br />D. 3:2:1<br />E. 3:4:3</p><h3>Question 22</h3><p>Over three years, a scientist earned an average annual income of ₦45,000.</p><p>The scientist earned one and a half times as much in the second year as in the first year, and two and a half times as much in the third year as in the first year.</p><p>What was the scientist’s income in the second year?</p><p>A. ₦9,000<br />B. ₦13,500<br />C. ₦27,500<br />D. ₦40,500<br />E. ₦45,000</p><h3>Question 23</h3><p>How many two-digit whole numbers leave a remainder of 1 when divided by 10 and also leave a remainder of 1 when divided by 6?</p><p>A. None<br />B. One<br />C. Two<br />D. Three<br />E. Four</p><h2>Could You Answer Them in Time?</h2><p>These are only some of the questions reportedly given to candidates during the exercise.</p><p>Did you answer any of them?</p><p>More importantly, how long did it take you to arrive at your answers?</p><p>Now imagine attempting 30 similar questions in only 30 minutes while standing in an overcrowded recruitment centre and competing with hundreds of thousands of desperate job seekers.</p></div> </div>

The 2014 Nigeria Immigration Service Recruitment Exercise and Its “Killer Questions”

Editorial note: This post reflects the controversy surrounding the 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise, which resulted ...

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NO ENDING TO ASUP STRIKE

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Any hope to ending the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (A.S.U.P) was yesterday dashed after the meeting between A.S.U.P executives and representatives from the ministry of education ended in a deadlock. Both team has been in and out of several meetings in the past with little to no progress at resolving their differences. <br /><br /> The latest round of meeting which ended on Wednesday evening went in the direction of past meetings, according to the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Clement Chairman, the government had brought nothing new to the table and the union has no choice than to continue its strike action. Mr Chairman said, " Federal Government has offered nothing other their former position and A.S.U.P is not accepting that. We see the strike prolonging " <br /><br /> The union's strike is in its 5th months and with no end in sight, thousands of polytechnic students may have to wait "forever" before returning to school. The union is demanding among other things, that Needs Assessment Committee be set up to establish areas of infrastructural interventions in polytechnics, constitution of Governing Councils for polytechnics as its obtainable in universities, improvement in salary structure and an end to the discrimination of polytechnic graduates in the labour market. <br /><br /> While the crises linger on, both parties (ASUP and FG) have shifted blames for the deadlock in negotiation. </div>

NO ENDING TO ASUP STRIKE

Any hope to ending the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (A.S.U.P) was yesterday dashed after the meeting between ...

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The Beautiful Ones Are Dying: Remembering the Buni Yadi School Massacre

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects the situation and public mood following the February 2014 attack on Federal Government College, Buni Yadi. Initial reports placed the number of students killed at over 40, but later reports confirmed that 59 boys lost their lives. Although written in response to that particular tragedy, its concerns about attacks on schools and the value placed on young lives remain relevant.</p></blockquote><h2>Another Attack on Students</h2><p>Too early, too soon, the nation was again thrown into mourning over the killing of innocent students in the troubled North-East of the country.</p><p>Dozens of students were reportedly killed in the latest savage attack on schools in the region.</p><p>Although no group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident, the attack bore the hallmarks of the dreaded Boko Haram group operating freely in the region. The group had been blamed for similar attacks in the past, often leading to the closure of schools in the affected states.</p><p>Like in previous attacks, the students were attacked and killed as they slept in their dormitories during an overnight raid on their school—Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State.</p><p>Some were shot, while others were burnt alive as the school buildings were set on fire. Later reports confirmed that 59 boys were killed.</p><h2>Condemnation Without Enough Action</h2><p>Unlike in many civilised nations, where the resources of the state would be mobilised to find and prosecute the perpetrators of such an attack, our politicians gave the usual knee-jerk response.</p><p>They condemned the act and issued statement after statement in a familiar fashion. Yet little or no visible action was taken to prevent another attack a few months later or bring the perpetrators to justice.</p><p>Condemnation had become predictable. What remained missing was effective action.</p><h2>Politics While Families Mourned</h2><p>As the families of the victims mourned their loss and prepared to bury their children, leading members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, including the Nigerian president, were preparing for political activities elsewhere in the country.</p><p>The contrast was disturbing.</p><p>While the House of Representatives observed a day of mourning over the attack, President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP leaders attended the party’s North-West rally in Kaduna.</p><p>How insensitive and selfish could our leaders be? How little value was attached to the blood of our dying dreams?</p><p>No national day of mourning was declared to reflect on and grieve over this monumental loss of life. Nor had one been declared for the victims of other recent Boko Haram attacks.</p><p>Instead, the tragedy was followed by political blame-trading as the 2015 general election approached. Once again, politicians appeared more interested in escaping responsibility and scoring political points than in confronting the real problem.</p><h2>The Ugly Generation</h2><p>These men—the ugly generation—would not leave the stage, yet they would not allow the beautiful ones to live.</p><p>They were trading the country’s future for the gains of the present—or, more accurately, for the gains of their pockets.</p><p>The country still did not have a substantive Minister of Education, only a supervising minister. ASUP and COEASU strikes were ongoing, while many schools in Boko Haram-affected states remained under lock and key.</p><p>Yet the president was on a political tour in an attempt to win the next general election.</p><p>To the political class, winning elections appeared more important than keeping young people in school, protecting the lives of schoolchildren and creating jobs for the large number of unemployed graduates.</p><h2>A Future Worth Worrying About</h2><p>Things might not have been completely hopeless, but they were certainly worrying.</p><p>It would have been insane not to worry about the future when a substantial number of higher institutions were closed by striking lecturers and secondary-school students were being killed in their sleep.</p><p>More than ever, our education system needed a Moses—not luck any longer.</p><h2>Update: The Beautiful Ones Are Still at Risk</h2><p>The Buni Yadi attack was not the last major attack on Nigerian schoolchildren.</p><p>In the decade following the Chibok abductions, verified reports recorded more than 1,680 children abducted in conflict-related violence, 180 children killed in attacks on schools and more than 70 attacks on educational institutions.</p><p>Insecurity has continued to force the closure of schools and discourage parents from allowing their children to attend classes. UNICEF reported that 113 schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states were closed because of insecurity during 2022 and 2023 alone.</p><p>The beautiful ones are still dying, being abducted or being denied an education because their schools are unsafe.</p><p>The tragedy of Buni Yadi should therefore not be remembered only as an event of February 2014. It should remain a warning that a nation that cannot protect its children in their classrooms and dormitories is endangering its own future.</p></div> </div>

The Beautiful Ones Are Dying: Remembering the Buni Yadi School Massacre

Editorial note: This article reflects the situation and public mood following the February 2014 attack on Federal Government College, Buni...

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Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem — Part One

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects Nigeria’s employment and education situation at the time it was written. Yet, the central argument—that greater investment in education can create jobs and support national development—remains relevant.</p></blockquote><h2>Nigeria’s Unemployment Problem</h2><p>Unemployment is a major issue in Nigeria. At the time this article was written, the country had the largest population in Africa, estimated at about 165 million, with young people representing a significant proportion of the population.</p><p>Statistics released in 2013 indicated a very high level of youth unemployment. So disturbing was the unemployment situation that the Federal Government described the 2014 national budget as the <strong>“Budget of Job Creation and Inclusive Growth.”</strong></p><p>The unemployment problem is strongly connected to the type of economy operated in the country, which has largely depended on the export of crude oil.</p><p>Despite the large revenue generated by the oil industry, it creates relatively few direct jobs. In addition, much of the revenue meant for development has been lost through corruption and poor management.</p><p>Previous efforts to diversify the economy through investment in agriculture, solid minerals and other sectors have often suffered setbacks. However, one area that has yet to be fully explored for job creation is the education sector.</p><h2>Employment Opportunities in Education</h2><p>The education sector consists of schools, ministries, commissions, agencies, publishing companies and industries that produce educational materials. These areas require a large workforce.</p><p>With appropriate strategies and investment in education, several Nigerians could be gainfully employed.</p><p>The shortage of qualified and trained teachers is well known to both the government and the public. This problem was also highlighted during the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics strike.</p><p>Among their demands, the unions called on the government to recruit more lecturers to complement the available staff, whom they argued were overstretched.</p><p>The shortage of workers is not limited to tertiary institutions. Primary and secondary schools suffer from similar problems. Many public schools have a poor teacher-to-student ratio, while some schools in rural and remote areas exist almost only in name.</p><h2>Recruiting and Training More Teachers</h2><p>The shortage of workers in education is a serious problem that requires urgent attention.</p><p>Direct investment in the sector through the recruitment and training of graduates as teachers could reduce youth unemployment. Thousands, and possibly millions over time, could be taken off the streets and gainfully employed.</p><p>Employment opportunities should not be limited to teachers. Many schools also lack essential non-teaching workers in areas such as:</p><ul><li><p>administration;</p></li><li><p>security;</p></li><li><p>maintenance;</p></li><li><p>sports;</p></li><li><p>transportation;</p></li><li><p>cleaning;</p></li><li><p>gardening; and</p></li><li><p>library services.</p></li></ul><p>Properly staffing these departments would create jobs and improve the operation of schools.</p><h2>Investment in School Infrastructure</h2><p>Another source of employment lies in the development of school infrastructure.</p><p>Following the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme in the 1980s, during a period of economic difficulty and falling oil revenue, investment in school infrastructure declined while existing facilities deteriorated.</p><p>The trend continued for many years. As student enrolment increased, classrooms became overcrowded, office blocks deteriorated, and libraries and laboratories became obsolete or completely unavailable in many schools.</p><p>The infrastructural challenges became enormous after decades of neglect.</p><p>However, this trend could be reversed through short- and long-term investment in educational infrastructure.</p><p>The construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, workshops, hostels and administrative buildings would create direct and indirect jobs in:</p><ul><li><p>building and construction;</p></li><li><p>furniture production;</p></li><li><p>laboratory-equipment manufacturing;</p></li><li><p>electronics;</p></li><li><p>transportation;</p></li><li><p>printing; and</p></li><li><p>other supporting industries.</p></li></ul><p>Such investment holds great promise for reducing unemployment.</p><p>It could also help revitalise industries connected to education, particularly publishing houses and companies involved in the production of textbooks, exercise books, school furniture, uniforms and teaching materials.</p><h2>Benefits Beyond Job Creation</h2><p>Although this article has focused mainly on the economic gains and employment opportunities available through investment in education, there are several other benefits.</p><p>Apart from creating jobs, investment in education would help improve educational standards and support the achievement of the goals of the National Policy on Education.</p><p>It would also contribute to higher literacy and make national development through education more achievable.</p><p>Education does not only employ people directly. It also prepares the skilled workers, professionals and innovators required in agriculture, health, technology, manufacturing, construction and every other sector of the economy.</p><h2>Problems with Graduate Teacher-Recruitment Programmes</h2><p>Some state governments have recruited graduates as teachers in an attempt to address both unemployment and the shortage of teaching staff.</p><p>Thousands of young people have been employed through such programmes and deployed to schools, particularly in rural areas where teachers are in short supply.</p><p>In Niger State, for example, graduates were recruited under a programme popularly associated with the administration at the time and posted to different schools.</p><p>However, corruption, poor supervision and weak motivation affected the success of such initiatives.</p><p>Because of poor salaries, limited incentives and difficult working conditions, some recruits reportedly found ways to avoid their responsibilities. Some collected their monthly salaries without regularly attending school or properly teaching their students.</p><p>For such people, the programme became a form of government support for the unemployed rather than a genuine teaching appointment.</p><p>If these weaknesses are addressed through proper recruitment, training, monitoring and motivation, graduate teacher-employment programmes could significantly reduce the number of young people seeking jobs.</p><p>Teachers posted to rural communities should also be provided with accommodation, transport support and other incentives that would encourage them to remain at their duty posts.</p><h2>Regulation and Monitoring</h2><p>The education sector offers a promising platform through which federal and state governments can create jobs directly and indirectly.</p><p>This would not only complement other government efforts to reduce unemployment but also raise the standard of education.</p><p>However, strict regulation and monitoring must be introduced to prevent employment programmes from becoming mere government benefit schemes.</p><p>Recruitment should be based on merit and genuine need rather than political connections. Workers should be properly trained, assigned clear responsibilities and regularly supervised.</p><p>At the same time, salaries and allowances should be paid promptly. It would be unfair to demand commitment from workers who are poorly paid or owed salaries for several months.</p><h2>Why Education Must Come First</h2><p>Some readers may ask: why not invest instead in industry, health, roads, agriculture or mining, all of which could also create substantial jobs?</p><p>Investment in all these sectors would certainly benefit the economy.</p><p>However, it is people who drive every sector. Without quality education and properly trained workers, investments in industry, health, agriculture, mining and technology may not produce the expected results.</p><p>Education drives innovation. The development of any nation in today’s world is closely connected to the quality of its investment in education.</p><p>As G. K. Chesterton stated:</p><blockquote><p>“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.”</p></blockquote><p>Only education can provide the knowledge, skills and values required for lasting development and progress.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>Nigeria’s method of measuring unemployment has changed since this article was written. The National Bureau of Statistics now applies updated international labour-measurement standards, so recent unemployment figures cannot be directly compared with the older figures quoted in the original article. For example, the NBS reported a youth unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent for people aged 15–24 in the first quarter of 2024, while broader measures such as underemployment and young people not in education, employment or training provide additional information about the labour situation.</p><p>Despite the change in statistics, the underlying concern remains. The World Bank reported in 2026 that about one in five Nigerian youths was neither studying nor working, while gaps in education, learning and workplace skills continued to limit employment and future earnings.</p><p>Investment in education can still create employment through teacher recruitment, school construction, publishing, vocational training, educational technology and the production of learning materials.</p><p>However, job creation should not simply involve placing unemployed graduates in classrooms. Teachers and other education workers must be properly trained, motivated, supervised and provided with the resources required to perform their duties.</p><p>Education remains one of the strongest foundations on which Nigeria can build productive employment and sustainable national development.</p></div> </div>

Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem — Part One

Editorial note: This article reflects Nigeria’s employment and education situation at the time it was written. Yet, the central argument—t...

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Freerice: Learn, Play and Help Fight Hunger

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post was first written when Freerice raised funds mainly through advertisements displayed while users played. The funding system has since changed, but the idea remains the same: players answer educational questions while helping to support the United Nations World Food Programme.</span></p></blockquote><p>Freerice is an ambitious fundraising and educational initiative owned by the United Nations World Food Programme. It combines learning with efforts to fight world hunger.</p><p>The website provides a free online trivia game that allows players to select a subject and answer multiple-choice questions.</p><p>For every question answered correctly, the player earns ten virtual grains of rice. These grains are matched by private sponsors, triggering a financial contribution to the World Food Programme’s emergency and hunger-relief activities. The grains therefore represent donations rather than physical rice being sent directly each time a question is answered.</p><p>There is no limit to how much rice an individual can earn. Players can also create groups and invite friends, classmates, family members or other members of their community to participate. They may also join existing groups and contribute towards a shared total.</p><p>The game covers different educational subjects and general-knowledge topics. It provides an opportunity to test one’s knowledge while contributing to a worthy cause.</p><p>I played questions in Chemistry and proudly raised more than one thousand grains in less than 24 hours.</p><p>Join the noble cause, challenge yourself and help support efforts to fight hunger.</p><p><strong>Learn, play and give back.</strong></p><p>Visit <a href="https://freerice.com/">Freerice</a> to get started.</p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div></blockquote></blockquote> <!--Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Flh4.ggpht.com%2F-CQxqg4iDEwU%2FUvftJdRbocI%2FAAAAAAAAAEY%2F-yQ01Wo2bys%2Fs640%2Fshot_000005-1-1-picsay.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWX5GERaArX-uo76ZzOjLlMBAf4y7hYIw8caRe6Zky7hZ3nCD5lU12OEtkOgruK85kYludocId0k5SeHluiAjTSTVL7nu4ZAZh8boVakSiUdK8mghpVJdHVoz-lcFb5ooMuBg54-r4vzo/s640/shot_000005-1-1-picsay.jpg"-->

Freerice: Learn, Play and Help Fight Hunger

Editorial note: This post was first written when Freerice raised funds mainly through advertisements displayed while users played. The fun...

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OSUN STATE EDUCATION CRISIS : CHRISTIANS ON PROTEST AGAIN

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Christians attending faith based schools such as Baptist High School in Osun State have again put up a show of resistance to the state's new education reform. It would be recalled that last year, academic activities in some schools were grounded by <a href="https://www.blogger.com/www.akomst.blogspot.com/2013/10/christians-protest-merger-of-schools-by.html?">Christian activists and parents who were protesting against the new de-segregated school policy implemented by the state government.</a> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As schools were opening for the new term, returning students to Baptist High school - the focus of resistance to the new policy - turn out in mixed dresses rather than the state wide approved school uniform. The Christians opted for white garment while the Muslims wore insignia. The pagan students were also reportedly wearing  masquerade costumes. Not only this, the school's regular assembly session has always been rowdy as students are divided over school anthem. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Effort by teachers to enforce the new reform have been met with stiff resistance by students, in fact, teachers were reportedly injured by students in an attempt to stop students-in-fighting and enforce the new education policy of the state. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So far, academic activities are in disarray in some affected schools. </div> </div>

OSUN STATE EDUCATION CRISIS : CHRISTIANS ON PROTEST AGAIN

Christians attending faith based schools such as Baptist High School in Osun State have again put up a show of resistance to the state...

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Corporal Punishment in Nigerian Schools: What Are the Alternatives?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><p>After an earlier post on <a href="https://akomst.blogspot.com/2014/01/corporal-punishment-in-nigerian-schools.html">corporal punishment in Nigerian schools</a>, where its widespread use, factors encouraging it and its effects on individuals were highlighted, I thought it wise to also write about feasible alternatives to this method of behaviour control and discipline.</p><p>The ideas offered in this post, far from being original, are based on principles of psychology. Educational psychology offers teachers several effective methods of handling indiscipline and antisocial behaviour.</p><p>With the increasing campaign against the use of corporal punishment in homes and schools, the urgent need for teachers to begin applying some basic principles of educational psychology has become more important.</p><p>The following are some alternatives to corporal punishment.</p><h2>Guidance and Counselling</h2><p>It is a known fact that many schools operated by both government and private owners in Nigeria rarely have a functional guidance and counselling unit or department. In cases where one exists, little impact may be made in shaping students’ behaviour.</p><p>Personally, I was “privileged” to attend a secondary school that had a guidance and counselling department, but most of us—the students—neither knew about nor appreciated its services.</p><p>Guidance and counselling is one of the major practical applications of educational psychology. It has the potential not only to shape students’ present behaviour but also to influence their future choices. It is one of the greatest tools available for behaviour control and discipline.</p><p>In schools where there is no department dedicated to guidance and counselling, the responsibility falls collectively and individually on the teachers.</p><p>One-on-one and group counselling should be carried out regularly in response to new or existing behavioural challenges.</p><p>For instance, if a student has the habit of arriving late at school, rather than using corporal punishment, the proper approach would be to investigate the problem, identify the reasons for the habitual lateness and offer appropriate guidance.</p><p>Sometimes, the problem may be traced to the child’s home. In such cases, the parents should be involved in finding a solution.</p><p>Adolescents are among the most difficult groups of students to guide. Nonetheless, teachers should demonstrate the highest level of professionalism when handling and correcting their behaviour.</p><p>Understanding their stage of human development is very important. Possible factors influencing any observed antisocial behaviour should first be investigated before counselling begins.</p><p>Students at this stage may display increased disobedience, aggression, sexual awareness and other challenging behaviours.</p><p>Guidance and counselling—not caning—is a better method of addressing these problems. For counselling to succeed, factors such as peer pressure, films, games and harmful internet content should be considered.</p><p>In serious cases, the support of parents should be sought in monitoring the child’s activities at home, including internet use, television content, video games and the company the child keeps.</p><p>With the right knowledge, guidance and counselling is an important tool that all teachers can use to correct students’ behaviour and maintain discipline.</p><h2>Positive Reinforcement and Praise</h2><p>This is one alternative to corporal punishment that teachers often underuse.</p><p>The power of praise and reward for correct actions or behaviour has been shown to be effective in shaping and modifying behaviour.</p><p>When desirable behaviour is recognised and rewarded, students are more likely to repeat it. When wrong behaviour receives no positive reinforcement, it may gradually reduce.</p><p>If this method is properly applied from an early age, the result can be impressive, and students may no longer require caning before they behave appropriately.</p><p>Praise and rewards can also create healthy competition among students.</p><p>For instance, if a student is praised and rewarded in the presence of classmates for always arriving at school early or maintaining a neat appearance, other students may be encouraged to display similar behaviour.</p><p>Praise may be given verbally or in writing. Teachers can write positive comments in students’ exercise books and report cards or recognise good conduct during assemblies.</p><p>Rewards may include exercise books, writing materials, textbooks, certificates or positions of responsibility such as school prefectship.</p><p>Where the criteria for positions of responsibility are clearly announced in advance, students may be encouraged to compete positively by displaying the desired behaviour.</p><p>Both rewards and praise can help shape students’ behaviour and reduce the need for caning or other forms of corporal punishment.</p><p>Contrary to popular belief, much money is not required to apply these methods. The most important resources are the commitment of teachers and school management to recognising and rewarding good behaviour.</p><h2>Suspension</h2><p>Suspension is one of the more serious methods of discipline. However, when carefully used in cases of serious indiscipline or social misconduct, it may help with behaviour control.</p><p>A common mistake by some school managements is to use suspension only after repeated corporal punishment has failed.</p><p>In such cases, suspension becomes an act of desperation rather than part of a planned process of correction and rehabilitation.</p><p>One proper way to use suspension is to precede it with counselling and follow it with a planned programme of rehabilitation when the student returns.</p><p>During a discussion on an unrelated matter, a student once told me that being suspended from school for one week was the worst punishment he had ever received for indiscipline, disobedience and “stubbornness”.</p><p>According to him, it was worse than all the corporal punishments he had received for similar offences. More importantly, it was the only punishment that changed his behaviour.</p><p>What made the punishment especially difficult was watching his classmates and friends leave for and return from school while he remained at home, where he was sent on errands around the village or required to work on the farm.</p><p>The school was located in a rural farming community and had no formal guidance and counselling department.</p><p>The new principal believed that suspension was a better method of discipline than corporal punishment. In this case, even according to the student’s testimony, the method worked.</p><p>Suspension should, however, be used carefully because keeping a student away from school may also affect learning.</p><p>Where it is necessary, it should involve the cooperation of the parents, clear conditions for the student’s return and proper follow-up after the suspension.</p><h2>No Single Method Is Enough</h2><p>In conclusion, no single method described above is an exact replacement for corporal punishment. A combination of guidance and counselling, positive reinforcement, reasonable consequences, parental involvement and careful monitoring may be required.</p><p>Teachers must not relent in shaping their students’ behaviour, values and orientation towards the expectations of the wider society.</p><p>Discipline without corporal punishment does not mean allowing students to behave as they please. It means correcting behaviour without inflicting unnecessary pain, fear or humiliation.</p><p>If teachers perform this responsibility effectively, the prospect of a sane society—free from mob justice, drug abuse, domestic violence, rape and other antisocial behaviour—becomes more realistic.</p></div> </div>

Corporal Punishment in Nigerian Schools: What Are the Alternatives?

After an earlier post on corporal punishment in Nigerian schools , where its widespread use, factors encouraging it and its effects on indi...

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Corporal Punishment in Nigerian Schools

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflX48cXy8NDS8apTKkvmusiNerr3Uyn2Q1Qcs2JKPCJNIiHzL_AO3tMft1R93AEn0tJWM3GCqv9UubmQ7qkQ-040H55O3OmxiRw73ltFr7JMA-jl0MtC5-jKsrBfw2IKxCReqqHivkKE/s1600/Cane.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="corporal punishment in nigeria shools" border="0" height="213" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflX48cXy8NDS8apTKkvmusiNerr3Uyn2Q1Qcs2JKPCJNIiHzL_AO3tMft1R93AEn0tJWM3GCqv9UubmQ7qkQ-040H55O3OmxiRw73ltFr7JMA-jl0MtC5-jKsrBfw2IKxCReqqHivkKE/w249-h213/Cane.jpg" title="corporal punishment" width="249" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects my observations and teaching experience at the time it was written. Although public discussion and government commitments concerning corporal punishment have increased, the practice remains common in many Nigerian schools, and the legal position is still not entirely straightforward.</span></p></blockquote><h2>Meaning of Corporal Punishment</h2><p>According to a dictionary definition, corporal punishment is a form of punishment carried out by inflicting blows on an offender’s body.</p><p>The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child defines corporal punishment as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light.</p><p>Corporal punishment in schools is therefore a form of punishment inflicted on students by teachers, administrators or even fellow students for various offences.</p><h2>Corporal Punishment in Nigerian Education</h2><p>Corporal punishment in Nigerian schools is as old as the country’s education system. From traditional education in the South to the Almajiri and Islamic education systems in the North, corporal punishment—particularly caning—was a common practice.</p><p>With the advent of Western education, corporal punishment continued to be used in schools as a means of correction and discipline. The practice has remained largely unchanged, despite findings in educational psychology suggesting that such methods may cause more harm than the behaviour they are intended to correct.</p><p>The punishment is common at different levels of basic education in Nigeria. Public schools are particularly known for the practice, while its use in some private schools is either limited or completely discouraged.</p><p>Some public schools, such as the rural school where I served as a youth corps member, employed staff mainly for disciplinary purposes, and whips were commonly used in carrying out their duties.</p><p>In addition, student leaders such as head prefects were sometimes given the authority to discipline fellow students and enforce school rules and regulations.</p><p>The situation could be worse in boarding schools, where almost anyone regarded as a senior student might use corporal punishment at will, sometimes even for the pleasure of it.</p><p>Former boarding-school students like myself may never forget the cruel use of certain punishments as tools for producing supposedly “positive” changes in students.</p><p>In many cases, bullying would be a more appropriate description of the actions of some teachers and senior students. However, these actions were often carried out in the name of discipline, with corporal punishment presented as the “best” means of correction.</p><h2>Why the Practice Continues</h2><p>Despite condemnation from concerned groups, several factors continue to encourage the use of corporal punishment in schools.</p><h3>The Legal Position</h3><p>There is first the legal aspect. Some Nigerian laws do not expressly prohibit corporal punishment and may even appear to permit a limited form of physical correction.</p><p>Section 295 of the Criminal Code provides:</p><blockquote><p>“Nothing is an offence which does not amount to the infliction of grievous harm upon any person, and which is done by a parent or guardian, or by a person in the place of a parent or guardian, for the purpose of correcting a child or pupil under his care, provided that such correction is reasonable in the circumstances.”</p></blockquote><p>Similarly, section 55 of the Penal Code applicable in northern Nigeria states:</p><blockquote><p>“Nothing is an offence which does not amount to the infliction of grievous hurt upon any person, and which is done by a schoolmaster for the purpose of correcting a child under his charge, provided that such correction is reasonable in the circumstances.”</p></blockquote><p>These provisions have often been interpreted as allowing a limited form of corporal punishment, so long as it does not result in grievous harm and is considered “reasonable.”</p><p>It was therefore not surprising that, in two private schools where I taught, the proprietors stated during staff meetings that teachers were not permitted to use corporal punishment. However, the proprietors themselves claimed the exclusive right to administer it. Any case of indiscipline thought to require corporal punishment had to be referred to them.</p><p>The Child Rights Act protects children from torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and other forms of abuse. However, the continued existence of older provisions permitting “correction” has contributed to uncertainty and inconsistent practice.</p><h3>The Immediate Effect</h3><p>The most important factor encouraging corporal punishment may not be the law, but the immediate effect it appears to produce.</p><p>Many teachers who use corporal punishment derive satisfaction from the changes it seems to bring about. Sometimes, the effect is immediate: a student stops a particular behaviour because of fear.</p><p>For this reason, corporal punishment may appear more effective than other methods of correcting disobedience, antisocial behaviour or bad habits.</p><p>Caning has the ability to create fear in children and may therefore force an immediate change. This makes it appealing to many teachers and school administrators, even when the change may not be genuine or lasting.</p><h3>Support from Parents</h3><p>Many parents and members of the public also do not see anything wrong with corporal punishment.</p><p>Some parents openly support its use, sometimes referring to the popular expression, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Others argue that they went through the same form of discipline and, to the best of their knowledge, it worked.</p><p>At one school where I taught, a parent asked the teachers to cane her son whenever he arrived late.</p><p>According to her, the student usually left home early but spent too much time playing on his way to school. She therefore believed that regular caning would correct his lateness.</p><p>This is only one example of a parent approving corporal punishment. There are many more cases in which parents give teachers permission to beat their children.</p><h2>Effects of Corporal Punishment</h2><p>Much has already been written about the short- and long-term effects of corporal punishment, so there is no intention to discuss all the details here.</p><p>Some of the claimed effects are well established, while others remain open to debate. Nonetheless, corporal punishment has been associated with several negative outcomes, some of which may become more visible in the wider society than in the school where the punishment occurred.</p><p>Frequently mentioned effects include:</p><ul><li><p>fear and anxiety;</p></li><li><p>anger and humiliation;</p></li><li><p>depression;</p></li><li><p>aggressive or antisocial behaviour;</p></li><li><p>bullying of weaker students;</p></li><li><p>dishonesty and attempts to avoid punishment;</p></li><li><p>poor teacher–student relationships; and</p></li><li><p>difficulty concentrating on learning.</p></li></ul><p>A student may obey immediately after being beaten, but that does not necessarily mean the student understands why the behaviour was wrong.</p><p>Corporal punishment may also damage the relationship between a teacher and a student. A child who is constantly afraid of a teacher may become unwilling to ask questions, seek assistance or participate freely in lessons.</p><h2>Discipline Without Violence</h2><p>Without doubt, corporal punishment will continue to be used in many Nigerian schools as long as there is little awareness among teachers, parents and school administrators of its effects and the available alternatives.</p><p>Making laws alone will not be enough without proper enforcement.</p><p>Teachers must also be trained to use alternative methods of discipline, including counselling, clear rules, withdrawal of privileges, reasonable school duties, behaviour agreements, communication with parents and restorative approaches.</p><p>Alternative discipline does not mean allowing students to behave as they please. Schools still need rules, consequences and authority.</p><p>The difference is that discipline should correct behaviour without humiliating, injuring or frightening the child.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>The subject remains relevant. UNICEF’s 2024 assessment reported that physical punishment continued to affect a large proportion of Nigerian children, including those of school age.</p><p>In November 2024, Nigeria also made an international commitment to end corporal punishment in schools. However, a commitment must still be supported by clear legislation, enforcement, teacher training and practical alternatives for classroom management.</p><p>Until teachers and school administrators are trained and supported to use effective alternatives, corporal punishment may continue even where official policies discourage it.</p></div></div> </div>

Corporal Punishment in Nigerian Schools

Editorial note: This article reflects my observations and teaching experience at the time it was written. Although public discussion and...

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TOEFL Testing Resumes in Nigeria

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post refers to the resumption of TOEFL testing in Nigeria in January 2014 after an earlier suspension over security concerns. Test centres, dates and registration procedures may have changed since then.</span></p></blockquote><p>In what would come as a relief to many Nigerians, the Educational Testing Service announced that TOEFL testing would resume at selected centres in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.</p><p>The first test following the resumption was scheduled for 25 January 2014, while registration for upcoming test dates was expected to open on 13 January.</p><p>TOEFL—the Test of English as a Foreign Language—is an English-language proficiency test commonly taken by people whose first language is not English.</p><p>TOEFL scores are accepted by many universities and institutions as proof of English-language proficiency. The test may also be required for admission, scholarships or certain visa applications.</p><p>The resumption of testing in Nigeria would therefore come as a relief to Nigerians seeking admission or scholarships to study abroad, particularly in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.</p><p>The testing body had suspended TOEFL and GRE examinations in Nigeria the previous year because of security concerns.</p><p>Candidates should visit the official TOEFL website for current test dates, available centres and registration information.</p></div> </div>

TOEFL Testing Resumes in Nigeria

Editorial note: This post refers to the resumption of TOEFL testing in Nigeria in January 2014 after an earlier suspension over security c...

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Examination Success Tips

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;">Let me begin with a popular saying among students:</p><blockquote><p>“School is fun, but examinations spoil the fun.”</p></blockquote><p>Examinations can also be enjoyable, especially when a candidate is well prepared.</p><p>An examination is an evaluation tool used to assess how much of a learning objective has been achieved. Every subject or course has its own objectives—the knowledge, skills and behavioural changes it is expected to produce in the learner. An examination is one of the tools used to determine the extent to which those objectives have been achieved.</p><p>The key to success in any examination is preparation. Preparation is an important ingredient for success, while failure to prepare may lead to examination disaster.</p><p>Many of us may remember moral stories from comprehension passages read during our primary-school days. In one popular story, Agbo failed to prepare for his examination. Instead, he consulted a traditional healer who gave him a magical ring and some incantations which, he was told, would help him perform well.</p><p>When the ring failed to work, Agbo became angry and disappointed and eventually threw it into a river.</p><p>Today, the situation may be different, but some students still depend on supposedly “lucky” pens and other writing materials rather than preparing properly for their examinations.</p><p>So, how should a student prepare for an examination?</p><p>The following tips may help improve performance.</p><h2>1. Studying</h2><p>Studying is the most important preparation for any examination. However, the manner in which students study often determines how useful their efforts will be.</p><h3>Choose a Suitable Study Location</h3><p>Choose an appropriate place for studying, preferably a quiet and peaceful environment.</p><p>The environment in which you study can greatly affect how much you gain from your study time.</p><p>Personally, during my undergraduate days, I preferred studying at home. My roommate, however, preferred going to the classroom, where he could study in the company of coursemates.</p><p>It depends largely on individual preference. The important thing is to choose a place where you can concentrate.</p><h3>Begin Studying Early</h3><p>The best time to begin preparing for an examination is several days or weeks before the first paper.</p><p>Many students make the mistake of beginning serious study only a day or a few hours before the examination. Ideally, the final hours should be used for revision rather than learning an entire topic for the first time.</p><p>A good practice is to prepare a study timetable one or two weeks before the examination. This allows the evening or morning before each paper to be used for revision or relaxation.</p><h3>Use Group Study Wisely</h3><p>Participate in small study groups with classmates when necessary.</p><p>Group study provides an opportunity to share ideas, explain difficult topics and learn from others. However, there is no complete substitute for spending quality time studying alone.</p><p>Some students move from one study group or tutorial class to another during the examination period without creating time for personal study. This is not an effective way to prepare.</p><h3>Avoid Cramming</h3><p>As much as possible, avoid cramming when preparing for examinations.</p><p>Students who depend entirely on cramming may become disappointed when they cannot remember exactly what they memorised. This may lead to confusion, loss of confidence and frustration in the examination hall.</p><p>Try to understand the ideas, principles and relationships between concepts rather than memorising words without meaning.</p><h3>Practise Past Questions</h3><p>Many examination questions are drawn from topics or patterns that have appeared in previous years.</p><p>When preparing for an examination, it is advisable to attempt past questions during both personal and group study.</p><p>Past questions can help you understand:</p><ul><li><p>the common question formats;</p></li><li><p>topics frequently examined;</p></li><li><p>the level of difficulty;</p></li><li><p>how marks are distributed; and</p></li><li><p>how quickly you can answer within the available time.</p></li></ul><p>However, past questions should not replace studying the complete syllabus.</p><h2>2. Staying Free from Stress</h2><p>For many students, the mention of the word “examination” creates fear and tension.</p><p>Unfortunately, excessive tension may affect even a well-prepared student. It is therefore important to remain calm and manage stress before entering the examination hall.</p><p>Examinations are tools for evaluating learning, not instruments designed to spoil your fun.</p><h3>Get Enough Sleep</h3><p>If you must spend part of the night studying, it is still advisable to go to bed early enough to get proper rest.</p><p>It is not uncommon to see students feeling tense, uncomfortable or even sleeping in the examination hall because they did not get enough sleep.</p><p>Do not overwork yourself during the night or hours before the examination.</p><h3>Spend Time with Supportive Friends</h3><p>Stay in the company of supportive friends when possible. You may discuss light topics, play simple games or share jokes to reduce tension.</p><p>However, avoid friends who spread fear by constantly discussing how difficult the examination may be.</p><h3>Relax and Build Confidence</h3><p>Put yourself in a relaxed state of mind.</p><p>Rather than spending your time worrying, remind yourself of the effort you have made and approach the examination with confidence.</p><p>Positive thinking will not replace proper preparation, but it can help you use what you have learnt effectively.</p><h2>3. Examination Ethics and Conduct</h2><p>There are proper ways to conduct yourself in the examination hall if you want to maximise your chances of success.</p><h3>Choose Your Seat Carefully</h3><p>In examination centres where seats are not officially allocated, choose a suitable seat.</p><p>It may be better to sit away from close friends or students who may depend on you for answers. Calls and distractions from friends can affect your concentration and waste valuable time.</p><p>Make up your mind to work independently, and let your choice of seat reflect that decision.</p><h3>Read the Instructions</h3><p><strong>Always read and understand the instructions in every examination.</strong></p><p>Instructions are part of the examination, so do not ignore them.</p><p>Before answering, confirm:</p><ul><li><p>how many questions you are expected to attempt;</p></li><li><p>whether any question is compulsory;</p></li><li><p>where each answer should be written;</p></li><li><p>how marks are allocated; and</p></li><li><p>whether calculators or other materials are permitted.</p></li></ul><p>A student may know the answers but still lose marks by failing to follow instructions.</p><h3>Answer Questions Strategically</h3><p>When answering objective questions, do not spend too much time on one difficult question. Move to the next question and return to it later if time permits.</p><p>For essay questions, first read through all the questions before selecting the ones you intend to answer.</p><p>Where you get stuck on one part of a question, do not waste all your time there. Move to another part and return later.</p><p>When questions have marks attached to them, use the marks as a guide to the amount of detail and time required.</p><p>A question worth two marks should not take the same amount of time as one worth twenty marks.</p><h3>Manage Your Time</h3><p>Use the allocated time wisely.</p><p>Before beginning, divide your time among the questions you are required to answer. Avoid spending too much time on the first question and then rushing through the remaining ones.</p><p>Always reserve a few minutes for proofreading and corrections before submitting your answer booklet.</p><p>Check that:</p><ul><li><p>all required questions have been answered;</p></li><li><p>your answers are properly numbered;</p></li><li><p>your handwriting is readable;</p></li><li><p>calculations are clearly shown; and</p></li><li><p>your name or examination number is written where required.</p></li></ul><h2>Final Advice</h2><p>These tips are not exhaustive, but they may improve your chances of success when followed properly.</p><p>Examination success is not based on luck, magical rings or special pens. It comes mainly from preparation, understanding, confidence and proper conduct in the examination hall.</p><p>I wish you the very best in your examinations.</p><p><strong>Good luck!</strong></p></div>

Examination Success Tips

Let me begin with a popular saying among students: “School is fun, but examinations spoil the fun.” Examinations can also be enjoyable, espe...

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Lesson Planning: A Practical Guide for Teachers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><p style="text-align: left;">For teaching and learning not to be erratic, a teacher has to plan each lesson. Lesson planning is important for the effective implementation of the curriculum. In fact, it is one of the best ways to ensure that the curriculum is properly implemented.</p><p>A lesson plan is a systematic, step-by-step arrangement of how instruction will be organised and delivered.</p><p>A lesson plan is the teacher’s compass in the classroom. According to an educationist:</p><blockquote><p>“A lesson plan is the teacher’s visa to the classroom.”</p></blockquote><p>It is therefore important for a teacher to plan the lesson before entering the classroom. Proper planning helps to prevent failure and promotes successful teaching and learning.</p><h2>Important Questions in Lesson Planning</h2><p>A good lesson plan is centred on achievable instructional objectives that can be accomplished within the available period.</p><p>When preparing a lesson plan, the teacher should answer the following questions:</p><ul><li><p>What do I want to teach?</p></li><li><p>How will I teach it, and for how long?</p></li><li><p>What instructional materials and resources will I need?</p></li><li><p>How will I evaluate the teaching and learning process at the end of the lesson?</p></li></ul><h2>Steps in Preparing a Lesson Plan</h2><p>The following steps may be helpful when preparing a lesson plan.</p><h3>1. Topic</h3><p>Identify the topic to be taught, usually from the scheme of work or unit plan.</p><h3>2. Duration</h3><p>State the length of the lesson and plan how the available time will be used.</p><h3>3. Previous Knowledge</h3><p>Identify the learners’ previous knowledge or experience relating to the topic.</p><h3>4. Instructional Materials</h3><p>Identify and obtain the materials required to support the teaching and learning of the topic.</p><h3>5. Teaching Method</h3><p>Choose a suitable teaching method or a combination of methods for the topic.</p><h3>6. Presentation</h3><p>Arrange the lesson content in clear steps. State the activities of both the teacher and the learners at each stage.</p><h3>7. Evaluation</h3><p>Devise a means of determining whether the lesson objectives have been achieved. Evaluation may involve oral questions, written exercises or practical tasks.</p><h2>Sample Chemistry Lesson Plan</h2><p>The lesson plan below is one I once prepared for a Chemistry lesson. It may be helpful as a guide, but it is by no means perfect. Every teacher should be able to adapt a lesson plan to the subject, learners and teaching situation.</p><p><strong>School:</strong> ****<br /><strong>Class:</strong> SSS 1<br /><strong>Subject:</strong> Chemistry<br /><strong>Topic:</strong> Introduction to Chemistry<br /><strong>Duration:</strong> 45 minutes</p><h3>Behavioural Objectives</h3><p>At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:</p><ol><li><p>define Chemistry;</p></li><li><p>list career opportunities related to Chemistry; and</p></li><li><p>explain some adverse effects of chemicals.</p></li></ol><h3>Instructional Materials</h3><p>Charts or posters showing:</p><ul><li><p>different chemical industries;</p></li><li><p>products of chemical industries; and</p></li><li><p>harmful effects of chemicals and drugs.</p></li></ul><h3>Previous Knowledge</h3><p>Students are familiar with common household chemicals and some harmful effects of chemicals such as acids.</p><h3>Teaching Methods</h3><p>Verbal instruction and discussion methods.</p><h2>Presentation</h2><p>The teacher presents the lesson in the following steps.</p><h3>Step I: Meaning and Applications of Chemistry</h3><p><strong>Teacher’s Activity:</strong><br />The teacher defines Chemistry and explains how the knowledge of Chemistry is applied in different industries. The teacher also identifies useful products manufactured by chemical industries.</p><p><strong>Students’ Activity:</strong><br />The students listen attentively and identify products of chemical industries found within the school or home environment.</p><h3>Step II: Careers in Chemistry</h3><p><strong>Teacher’s Activity:</strong><br />The teacher lists and explains different career opportunities related to Chemistry and identifies industries connected with each career.</p><p><strong>Students’ Activity:</strong><br />The students listen, ask questions and take notes.</p><h3>Step III: Students’ Career Interests</h3><p><strong>Teacher’s Activity:</strong><br />The teacher initiates a discussion in which students identify possible careers they may wish to pursue in Chemistry and give reasons for their choices.</p><p><strong>Students’ Activity:</strong><br />The students state their career choices and explain the reasons for their decisions.</p><h3>Step IV: Uses and Harmful Effects of Chemicals</h3><p><strong>Teacher’s Activity:</strong><br />Using charts and posters, the teacher leads a discussion on the uses and harmful effects of chemicals and chemical industries on humans, animals and the environment.</p><p><strong>Students’ Activity:</strong><br />The students participate in the discussion and compare the benefits and harmful effects of chemicals and chemical industries.</p><h2>Evaluation</h2><p><strong>Teacher’s Activity:</strong><br />The teacher asks the students the following oral questions:</p><ol><li><p>What is Chemistry?</p></li><li><p>Identify five industries that apply the knowledge of Chemistry.</p></li><li><p>Mention three careers related to Chemistry.</p></li><li><p>State two harmful effects of chemicals.</p></li></ol><p><strong>Students’ Activity:</strong><br />The students answer the questions.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The teacher summarises the major points of the lesson and corrects any misunderstanding.</p><h2>Assignment</h2><ol><li><p>List five careers related to Chemistry.</p></li><li><p>State three uses and three harmful effects of chemicals.</p></li><li><p>Identify ten common products of chemical industries used in everyday life.</p></li></ol></div>

Lesson Planning: A Practical Guide for Teachers

For teaching and learning not to be erratic, a teacher has to plan each lesson. Lesson planning is important for the effective implementatio...

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2013 Review: Education or What?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article was written as a review of events in Nigeria’s education sector in 2013. It reflects the information, controversies and public mood of that period. Some developments have since taken new directions, but the article remains a useful historical record of a turbulent year in Nigerian education.</span></p></blockquote><p>The year 2013 could qualify as one of the worst years for Nigeria’s education sector in recent times, judging by the incidents that troubled the sector, including the loss of students, teachers and education activists.</p><p>Apart from violence, the sector experienced prolonged strikes, controversial reforms, political interference, corruption and other setbacks. Compared with the seriousness of these problems, the gains recorded during the year appeared limited.</p><p>This review groups the major events of 2013 under five headings:</p><ol><li><p>Strike actions</p></li><li><p>Violence, deaths and destruction</p></li><li><p>Reforms, policies and politics</p></li><li><p>Initiatives and gains</p></li><li><p>Continuing challenges</p></li></ol><h2>Strike Actions</h2><p>The year 2013 may be remembered as a year of strikes in Nigeria’s education sector.</p><p>Throughout the year, major unions at different levels of education either threatened or embarked on industrial action to draw attention to their demands. The most widely reported were the strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).</p><p>The ASUU strike began on 1 July 2013 and lasted for almost six months. It was suspended in December, only a few days before Christmas. The union demanded, among other things, the implementation of the agreement it had reached with the Federal Government in 2009.</p><p>Several negotiations failed to resolve the crisis. A major breakthrough came after President Goodluck Jonathan personally met with the union, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and the suspension of the strike. (<a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/151640-asuu-strike-end-six-month-face.html">premiumtimesng.com</a>)</p><p>The ASUP strike was also called to address several problems affecting public polytechnics, including funding, staff welfare and working conditions. However, the crisis continued into 2014 without an immediate end in sight.</p><p>The Nigeria Union of Teachers also threatened a solidarity strike in support of ASUU. Although the nationwide action did not eventually take place, several state chapters of the union embarked on separate strikes for different reasons. Academic activities were disrupted in states such as Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi, Taraba and Edo.</p><p>As if the year could not end without another strike announcement, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union declared an indefinite strike to begin in 2014. The union was demanding the implementation of an agreement reached with the Federal Government in 2010.</p><p>In summary, ASUU went on strike, ASUP remained on strike, different chapters of the NUT took industrial action, and COEASU announced another strike.</p><p>The overall result was that academic activities at almost every level of education were repeatedly disrupted.</p><h2>Violence, Deaths and Destruction</h2><p>Apart from the strikes, 2013 witnessed serious acts of violence that disrupted education and led to the deaths of students and teachers.</p><p>Much of the violence was concentrated in the North-East, but its effects were felt across the country. Boko Haram, which opposed Western education, was blamed for most of the attacks.</p><p>In July, armed attackers invaded Government Secondary School, Mamudo, in Yobe State. Students were attacked in their dormitories with guns and petrol bombs. Dozens of students and at least one teacher were killed, while some of the victims were burnt alive.</p><p>The attack led to the temporary closure of secondary schools in the state.</p><p>Barely a few months later, attackers invaded the College of Agriculture in Gujba, also in Yobe State. Many students were killed while sleeping in their dormitories, and buildings were set on fire. The institution was subsequently closed. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/nigeria-islamists-kill-students-as-they-sleep-idUSBRE98S03B/">reuters.com</a>)</p><p>There were other attacks on schools, teachers and students in the region. The insecurity forced many children out of school and made it increasingly difficult for teachers, examination officials and education workers to perform their duties safely.</p><p>Another tragedy occurred on 13 June 2013, when five executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students died in a road accident.</p><p>They were travelling to Uyo to intervene in a crisis between students and the management of the University of Uyo following a violent protest at the institution.</p><p>Nigeria also lost Professor Festus Iyayi, an academic, writer and former president of ASUU, in another road accident.</p><p>He died in an accident involving a vehicle in the convoy of the Kogi State governor while travelling to Kano for an ASUU National Executive Council meeting. The meeting was expected to consider developments in the prolonged university strike. (<a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/149464-ex-asuu-president-festus-iyayi-dies-in-auto-crash-involving-kogi-governors-convoy.html">premiumtimesng.com</a>)</p><p>Although much of the violence and loss of life reflected the wider insecurity and poor road safety in the country, the education sector suffered greatly.</p><p>Students, teachers and education activists were killed, while classrooms, dormitories, offices and other facilities were destroyed.</p><h2>Reforms, Policies and Politics</h2><p>The year 2013 was also marked by controversial reforms and policies.</p><p>Among the most debated were the Osun State school reclassification programme, the dispute over the use of hijab in Lagos public schools and changes to the Basic Education Curriculum.</p><p>Unfortunately, many of the controversies surrounding these policies took on religious dimensions.</p><h3>Osun State School Reclassification</h3><p>As part of its education reforms, the Osun State Government introduced a new school structure involving the regrouping, renaming and merging of public schools.</p><p>The most controversial aspect was the merger of schools with different historical and religious backgrounds.</p><p>Some schools originally founded by Christian missions were merged with other public schools attended by children from different religious backgrounds. This led to protests over school identity, religious practices and the wearing of hijab by Muslim students.</p><p>The Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria and some Christian groups opposed parts of the reform. Protests and disagreements led to tension and the temporary disruption of activities in some schools. (<a href="https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2014/02/13/hijab-aregbesola-osun-school-reclassification-war-saka-waheed-adekunle/">premiumtimesng.com</a>)</p><h3>Hijab in Lagos Public Schools</h3><p>Another controversy concerned the wearing of hijab by Muslim students in Lagos public schools.</p><p>The state government maintained that students could not wear hijab as part of the approved school uniform, although it could be used during religious activities.</p><p>The decision caused dissatisfaction among Muslim students and organisations. Protests were held, and some Muslim groups described the policy as discriminatory and unacceptable.</p><p>The disagreement later became the subject of a long legal battle.</p><h3>Changes to the Basic Education Curriculum</h3><p>The revised Basic Education Curriculum also generated criticism, particularly over changes affecting Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Studies.</p><p>Some religious organisations feared that combining or restructuring religious and civic subjects would reduce the importance given to religious education.</p><p>The debate showed how difficult it could be to introduce education reforms in a religiously diverse country without creating suspicion among different groups.</p><h3>Politics and the Ministry of Education</h3><p>Politics also affected the education sector.</p><p>Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i was removed as Minister of Education during a cabinet reshuffle in September 2013. Her removal came while negotiations over the ASUU strike were still ongoing. (<a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/i-am-going-back-to-university-to-teach-says-ruqayyatu-rufai/">vanguardngr.com</a>)</p><p>The change in leadership created further uncertainty at a time when the sector required stability and focused negotiation.</p><p>Before leaving office, the minister had also supported stronger penalties for examination malpractice. The proposal attracted mixed reactions.</p><p>While there was general agreement that examination malpractice should be punished, some commentators argued that punishment alone would not address the poor facilities, weak teaching, pressure for certificates and other conditions encouraging malpractice.</p><h2>Initiatives and Gains</h2><p>Despite the controversies, violence and strikes, the education sector recorded some gains during the year.</p><p>One initiative that attracted national and international attention was <strong>Opon Imo</strong>, meaning “Tablet of Knowledge”, introduced by the Osun State Government.</p><p>The electronic device contained textbooks, lesson materials and examination resources for secondary-school students.</p><p>The project received a World Summit Award in the Learning and Education category in 2013 and was widely discussed as an early attempt to introduce large-scale digital learning in Nigerian public schools. (<a href="https://wsa-global.org/winner/opon-imo-tablet-of-knowledge/">wsa-global.org</a>)</p><p>The Federal Government also invested in the establishment of Almajiri model schools, particularly in northern Nigeria.</p><p>The schools were intended to combine traditional Qur’anic education with basic Western education and provide learning opportunities for children who might otherwise remain outside the formal school system.</p><p>The initiative recognised the need to improve access to education among Almajiri children. However, its long-term success depended on proper funding, community acceptance, trained teachers and continued maintenance by federal and state governments.</p><h2>Continuing Challenges</h2><p>Some of the challenges experienced in 2013 were not peculiar to the year.</p><p>They included poor infrastructure, examination malpractice, mass failure in public examinations and graduate unemployment.</p><h3>Poor Infrastructure</h3><p>Many schools continued to operate with overcrowded classrooms, inadequate furniture, poor sanitation, weak libraries and laboratories that were either poorly equipped or completely unavailable.</p><p>The shortage of facilities affected both teaching and learning.</p><h3>Examination Malpractice and Poor Results</h3><p>As in previous years, newspapers carried disturbing reports of poor performance in national examinations.</p><p>The repeated reports had become so common that they no longer surprised many readers. Yet, they remained a clear indication of deeper problems within the education system.</p><p>Examination malpractice also continued, encouraged by pressure from parents, students and schools to obtain good results at all costs.</p><h3>Graduate Unemployment</h3><p>Unemployment remained another major challenge.</p><p>The education system continued to produce graduates who struggled to find work. Some remained unemployed because opportunities were limited in their areas of study, while others were described by employers as lacking the skills required in the workplace.</p><p>It became common to see employers demanding several years of work experience from applicants who had only recently graduated.</p><p>This raised questions about the relationship between the school curriculum, practical training and the needs of the labour market.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The year 2013 was certainly turbulent for Nigeria’s education sector.</p><p>Prolonged strikes disrupted tertiary education, violence claimed the lives of students and teachers, religious controversies affected school reforms, and many long-standing challenges remained unresolved.</p><p>There were a few encouraging initiatives, particularly in digital education and efforts to provide schooling for Almajiri children. However, these gains were overshadowed by the scale of the crises affecting the sector.</p><p>Unless the concerns of teachers and other education workers were properly addressed, there was every possibility that the strikes of 2013 would be repeated in 2014 and later years.</p><p>Unfortunately, many of the problems identified in this review were not resolved at the end of the year.</p><h2>Update: Looking Back from July 2026</h2><p>Looking back, the fears expressed in this article were justified.</p><p>Strikes continued to disrupt tertiary education in later years, including another prolonged nationwide ASUU strike in 2022. Attacks on schools also spread beyond the North-East to parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.</p><p>UNICEF reported in 2024 that more than 1,680 children had been abducted in conflict-related incidents during the previous decade, while at least 180 children had been killed in attacks on schools. (<a href="https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/press-releases/10-year-mark-chibok-abductions-unicef-urges-action-secure-childrens-education">unicef.org</a>)</p><p>Some developments from 2013 also produced lasting effects. The debate over hijab in Lagos public schools eventually reached the Supreme Court, while digital-learning initiatives became more common, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>The year 2013 should therefore be remembered not only as a difficult year, but also as an early warning of problems that Nigeria’s education sector would continue to face for many years.</p></div> </div>

2013 Review: Education or What?

Editorial note: This article was written as a review of events in Nigeria’s education sector in 2013. It reflects the information, controv...

Read more »