Education: A Mirror of Society

Why Are We Being Wicked to the Chibok Schoolgirls?

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<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>
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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...

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

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<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>
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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 ...

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

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<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>
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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 ...

NO ENDING TO ASUP STRIKE

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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 ...

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

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<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>
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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...

Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem — Part One

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<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>
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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...

Akomst Education