The alarming proportion of Nigerian graduates seeking employment to the number of graduates being churned out by our tertiary institutions seems to be of great concern to progress loving Nigerians. Every year, a large number of graduates are discharged into the labour market to compete for the few available jobs therein. Industries and organizations are then faced with the challenges of selection. For some, selecting strictly on merit now becomes a thing of using criteria like what school, what degree, grade and other professional qualification(s) attained by the individual applicant while for others, acquisition of organizational, entrepreneurial and other job skills is of paramount importance and is required of qualified applicants. Aside the few applicants that eventually clinched these jobs on merit, there is also an appreciable percentage of those that are less qualified but still get to be employed because of who they know or what interest they have in the firm.
What is really disheartening about the whole experience is the inadequacy of the present educational structure to equip students with the requisite skills needed to meet certain important criteria. Our educational framework is so structured that students are only imparted to become perpetual job seekers and not business owners. What is lacking in the present educational curriculum includes courses that could enhance the translation of knowledge acquired into developing not just careers but building basic business and entrepreneurial skills. These courses, if added would go a long way in improving working skills and also equip the average Nigerian youth with the wherewithal to be innovators and idea generators. These would largely affect the quality of graduates produced in the process. As it said that ideas rule the world, the economy of the country will in consequence experience tremendous growth.
One thing that could also be imparted to this generation to stimulate development is financial literacy. Children should be taught from childhood to be better money managers. Parent should ensure that the average Nigerian child is taught the rudiments of saving and investing for the future so that as they grow older and passes through various institutions, this acquired knowledge is blended into their careers and skills. These, if properly imbibed begins to tell on their value system even as they tend to become better managers of resources. Financial literacy entails getting them to understand what assets and liabilities truly are, and their effects on resources, teaching them sound savings and investment strategies for the future, equipping them with the understanding of various financial statements and their use in order to sharpen their investment and business decision skills amongst others. Money management if properly imparted and strictly adhered to would be highly beneficial to this generation. Productivity and self reliance would be greatly improved and our nation would be better for it.
Finally, there is also a need for the present generation to be inculcated with good leadership skills. It is often said that everything in life rises and falls on leadership. Bad leadership still remains one the main issues militating against the progress of this nation. We have been saddled in this nation with leaders that could not be taken at their words; leaders who place self above national interests. They promise heaven and earth, yet deliver very little or nothing to the electorate. With the right kind of attitude and good leadership skills, this generation will be better positioned towards building the right framework for national development.
From the home, the child’s first educational institution, to the school and even at work, leadership skills and team spirit should be entrenched in every child. These, they could grow by, stick by and live by. Our nation would in turn be driven towards positive growth and development. Towards building a new and better nation for ourselves and generations yet unborn.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
PLIGHT OF THE NIGERIAN GRADUATE
A professor of engineering on sabbatical in one of Nigeria’s leading universities had to be recalled to teach a particular course. As he strolled into his first class, he cleared his throat and in his usual characteristic manner began addressing the students. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! As you may be aware, I had to be recalled to teach this course due the sudden demise of Professor (names withheld). I was in the office of the head of department a few days back trying to draw up an adequate outline for this course because like I’ve always complained, the course outline is not by any standard of current relevance for fourth year engineering students but its quite unfortunate that in spite of all I did, I still did not succeeded in getting the department to improve the course to meet the challenges of the twenty first century engineering education. As it is now, I feel it will be doing you a great deal of good to be informed now that some of the things you will be learning in this course and like several other courses you have taken and those you will still take are of little or no relevance to the present day technology. Though they form the foundation upon which the modern day technology is built, most of them are either obsolete, had been modified or outrightly proven wrong. I encourage you to gather as much as you can of current trends and technologies from whatever available sources you find so as to keep abreast of current developments. I’ll start with the first topic in the next class, good day”. And with that, he walked out of the class.
The above illustration vividly portrays the decadence of tertiary education in Nigeria. A one time managing director of brewery in Nigeria was once quoted in a national daily as saying Nigerian graduates are unemployable, a statement borne out of the lack of skills and qualities needed to get a job by the average Nigerian graduate. This statement, harsh as it may sound is a typical reflection of the Nigerian situation. These days, one cannot but ponder over the kind of graduates expected to be produced with the current standard of education in the country.
Nigeria is a country that is blessed with so much human and material resources. The current trend of the performance of Nigerians in all spheres of life outside the shores of this country could well attest to this fact. From sports to entertainment, business to academics, Nigerians have excelled so well that we have become a force to reckon with in all facets of life. Even when it comes to corruption and other vices, one cannot but stand in awe of the ingenuity of Nigerians.
Despite the abundance, we have failed to harness these resources to develop our nation. We have paid lip service to sound education, adequate health care delivery system, provision of basic infrastructures and other things upon which development hinges on. We have turned to a society that frowns at honesty and hardwork but glorifies the principle of the end justifying the means. Bad leadership continues to thrive in our nation and it has eaten so deep into the psyche of the Nigerian youth that they no longer understand words like service, honesty, hardwork, diligence and patriotism but instead, an average Nigerian is always looking forward to the day he or she gets to take his or her own piece of the national cake. What else do you expect of a nation where moral values have been eroded and it has been replaced with the doctrine of self aggrandizement and self centeredness?
Our institutions, which are meant to be the bedrock of national re-orientation, are in a very sorry state. Our primary and secondary school system is really nothing to write home about. Examination malpractices have become the order of the day. Our tertiary institutions that should be breeding grounds for tomorrow’s leaders and ideas has turned into centers for cultism and other criminal activities. Our schools are short-staffed, lecture theatres inadequate, practical equipment practically non-existent and very little or no teaching/learning aids are made available in schools. Science and technology oriented courses are the most affected as students has to make do with cramming theories with little or no practical. Our educational system is so permeated by incessant strikes and protests as it happens to be the only language our leaders understands. We have always had leaders that have little or no interest in education and it has in turn taken its toll on the system.
I think it’s high time we Nigerians took our destinies into our hands. We need to vehemently oppose leaders that would not make adequate and meaningful impact on our educational system, provide basic facilities and infrastructure that would take our nation to greater heights because no nation that truly wants to be great would deprive its citizenry of these. Let everyone that believes in a new Nigeria begins to embrace change. Let us support only credible and competent leaders with good track record and sound manifestos so that together we will make Nigeria great again. A word is enough for the wise!
The above illustration vividly portrays the decadence of tertiary education in Nigeria. A one time managing director of brewery in Nigeria was once quoted in a national daily as saying Nigerian graduates are unemployable, a statement borne out of the lack of skills and qualities needed to get a job by the average Nigerian graduate. This statement, harsh as it may sound is a typical reflection of the Nigerian situation. These days, one cannot but ponder over the kind of graduates expected to be produced with the current standard of education in the country.
Nigeria is a country that is blessed with so much human and material resources. The current trend of the performance of Nigerians in all spheres of life outside the shores of this country could well attest to this fact. From sports to entertainment, business to academics, Nigerians have excelled so well that we have become a force to reckon with in all facets of life. Even when it comes to corruption and other vices, one cannot but stand in awe of the ingenuity of Nigerians.
Despite the abundance, we have failed to harness these resources to develop our nation. We have paid lip service to sound education, adequate health care delivery system, provision of basic infrastructures and other things upon which development hinges on. We have turned to a society that frowns at honesty and hardwork but glorifies the principle of the end justifying the means. Bad leadership continues to thrive in our nation and it has eaten so deep into the psyche of the Nigerian youth that they no longer understand words like service, honesty, hardwork, diligence and patriotism but instead, an average Nigerian is always looking forward to the day he or she gets to take his or her own piece of the national cake. What else do you expect of a nation where moral values have been eroded and it has been replaced with the doctrine of self aggrandizement and self centeredness?
Our institutions, which are meant to be the bedrock of national re-orientation, are in a very sorry state. Our primary and secondary school system is really nothing to write home about. Examination malpractices have become the order of the day. Our tertiary institutions that should be breeding grounds for tomorrow’s leaders and ideas has turned into centers for cultism and other criminal activities. Our schools are short-staffed, lecture theatres inadequate, practical equipment practically non-existent and very little or no teaching/learning aids are made available in schools. Science and technology oriented courses are the most affected as students has to make do with cramming theories with little or no practical. Our educational system is so permeated by incessant strikes and protests as it happens to be the only language our leaders understands. We have always had leaders that have little or no interest in education and it has in turn taken its toll on the system.
I think it’s high time we Nigerians took our destinies into our hands. We need to vehemently oppose leaders that would not make adequate and meaningful impact on our educational system, provide basic facilities and infrastructure that would take our nation to greater heights because no nation that truly wants to be great would deprive its citizenry of these. Let everyone that believes in a new Nigeria begins to embrace change. Let us support only credible and competent leaders with good track record and sound manifestos so that together we will make Nigeria great again. A word is enough for the wise!
The Call
Raze!
Doubts arise and fear dismay.
Flow!
Till thy bosom tried and true.
Blaze!
Catch a gleam of glory bright.
Flood the land with purest joy.
Thy kingly brightness display.
Filled with might, sweet and gentle,
thy heart rekindled daily.
Even till thy journey's end,
twinkle, twinkle, all the way.
Whirlwind
Limbless hollow:
A cantankerous purveyor
of vehicular artefacts, flowing thunderously
in a god-like fury,
that confounds even the conveyed.
Me, gutless?
An enigmatic whiplash,
with an inert rage strolling skywards
in frenzied circles,
all consuming, all encompassing.
Or, is it true?
I, who swim
in the oceans of the wind,
listening to the martyr's silent screams.
Do you remember the one-legged masquerade
at the market square, whose shadow flees
into seizures while chanting rhapsodies of blood?
My liquid womb flew into a rapturous rhythm,
while the gatekeeper mourned the lame martyr's betrothal.
A new resolve was born that evening.
Never will the loin of the hunter king go hungry again.
A cantankerous purveyor
of vehicular artefacts, flowing thunderously
in a god-like fury,
that confounds even the conveyed.
Me, gutless?
An enigmatic whiplash,
with an inert rage strolling skywards
in frenzied circles,
all consuming, all encompassing.
Or, is it true?
I, who swim
in the oceans of the wind,
listening to the martyr's silent screams.
Do you remember the one-legged masquerade
at the market square, whose shadow flees
into seizures while chanting rhapsodies of blood?
My liquid womb flew into a rapturous rhythm,
while the gatekeeper mourned the lame martyr's betrothal.
A new resolve was born that evening.
Never will the loin of the hunter king go hungry again.
Heartcry
Yesterday!
It was twilight at dawn.
The sky tumbled,
the stars bled from the hearts.
Poor old woman!
She went wild in the patter of rain.
Her tumbled heart in convulsive gasps,
as she forces a joke to make amends.
"Once upon a joke" she said amidst tears and sighs.
The rhythm finally subsides as the cock crows.
It was the stars, then the milky way.
Agonizing heads in discordant symphony.
The claustrophobic atmosphere of darkness;
the agony of going over the brink into the limbo of time,
tearing through the flesh of her soul.
Caught in the throb of the drum.
shackled to the blood-stained chasm of oblivion,
she whispered to her lonely self.
"We don't say goodbye in my city'
Yes! We don't say goodbye.
And our final epilogue bound by this harsh law,
forever bask in the eloquence of silence.
It was twilight at dawn.
The sky tumbled,
the stars bled from the hearts.
Poor old woman!
She went wild in the patter of rain.
Her tumbled heart in convulsive gasps,
as she forces a joke to make amends.
"Once upon a joke" she said amidst tears and sighs.
The rhythm finally subsides as the cock crows.
It was the stars, then the milky way.
Agonizing heads in discordant symphony.
The claustrophobic atmosphere of darkness;
the agony of going over the brink into the limbo of time,
tearing through the flesh of her soul.
Caught in the throb of the drum.
shackled to the blood-stained chasm of oblivion,
she whispered to her lonely self.
"We don't say goodbye in my city'
Yes! We don't say goodbye.
And our final epilogue bound by this harsh law,
forever bask in the eloquence of silence.
Freedom
Hey! It's a wake up call.
Come, eat the bread of liberation.
Raging silence of oppression.
It's our time to play ball.
Struggle of the spirit,
in a land where nation wreckers,
site treasuries in knicker bockers.
State of the art cesspit.
New national syndrome,
for native doomed to derision.
It's visionary decision.
Rules for next millennium.
Enough desecration!
No room for ruthless saboteurs,
soused in delusions of grandeur.
Final restoration.
Death before dishonour.
Total allegiance to the quest.
The blood-stained fury of conquest,
devour their sordid labour.
How dare you remain pawns?
Spreading fraternal strife within.
Renegades and doubters within,
welcome to the new dawn.
The new breed without greed:
visage of the common man,
conscience of the brooding charlatan,
pillar of strength indeed!
Equity and justice.
Strategies for state unity.
Here's to immortality,
altar of common peace.
Rivers of harmony.
An everlasting legacy.
Floating eternal policy,
against ignominy.
Liberty, the new name.
Liberty for all and sundry.
Liberty, city of bravery.
Liberty, the true game.
Come, eat the bread of liberation.
Raging silence of oppression.
It's our time to play ball.
Struggle of the spirit,
in a land where nation wreckers,
site treasuries in knicker bockers.
State of the art cesspit.
New national syndrome,
for native doomed to derision.
It's visionary decision.
Rules for next millennium.
Enough desecration!
No room for ruthless saboteurs,
soused in delusions of grandeur.
Final restoration.
Death before dishonour.
Total allegiance to the quest.
The blood-stained fury of conquest,
devour their sordid labour.
How dare you remain pawns?
Spreading fraternal strife within.
Renegades and doubters within,
welcome to the new dawn.
The new breed without greed:
visage of the common man,
conscience of the brooding charlatan,
pillar of strength indeed!
Equity and justice.
Strategies for state unity.
Here's to immortality,
altar of common peace.
Rivers of harmony.
An everlasting legacy.
Floating eternal policy,
against ignominy.
Liberty, the new name.
Liberty for all and sundry.
Liberty, city of bravery.
Liberty, the true game.
Lonely?
Like candlesticks in a celestial palace,
I stood guard of his cascading waters.
The orphan knows me.
You dare not ask him!
I'm his friend.
The slumber of the weary wayfarer,
his makeshift hovels and battered spirits.
I think he knows me.
Please don't ask him!
I'm his friend. Yes I am!
My fiery breadth, whispers of horror.
The fire in his bosom, of course I am!
Well, you could ask the distressed;
but please, not the mother.
I'm his friend, the mother knows.
My ancestors; they dare not try,
for I dance at their expense,
I come into the market place, even they flee.
I'm their friend.
They dare not say no!
The heavy blow that sent the man reeling,
causing subtle ones to feast on him.
My fingers, red hot embers, Oh! how I soothe?
My soul crypt, their pilgrim's welcome.
What else?... Yes! they all owe me.
The bond of friendship.
I stood guard of his cascading waters.
The orphan knows me.
You dare not ask him!
I'm his friend.
The slumber of the weary wayfarer,
his makeshift hovels and battered spirits.
I think he knows me.
Please don't ask him!
I'm his friend. Yes I am!
My fiery breadth, whispers of horror.
The fire in his bosom, of course I am!
Well, you could ask the distressed;
but please, not the mother.
I'm his friend, the mother knows.
My ancestors; they dare not try,
for I dance at their expense,
I come into the market place, even they flee.
I'm their friend.
They dare not say no!
The heavy blow that sent the man reeling,
causing subtle ones to feast on him.
My fingers, red hot embers, Oh! how I soothe?
My soul crypt, their pilgrim's welcome.
What else?... Yes! they all owe me.
The bond of friendship.
Like Play! Like Play!!
The tyranny of a soldier,
right at the market square.
Bloody civilian! Come here!
How dare you touch me?
My uniform, so sacred.
From cap to my shoe sole,
naught was there without reason.
A slap.
A kick.
Another slap.
Another kick.
Another...
Another...
Severe pound of mortal flesh.
Khaki mauling unlimited,
not without its attendant ''Sorry Sir!"
The dumb's plea to the blind.
Blood.
Gushing waters!
Blood.
Dripping, gushing.
Gushing! Dripping!
Cascading waters into distant seas.
Like play, like play.
Sudden collapse.
No! A faint,
Deathly hush.
Like play.
right at the market square.
Bloody civilian! Come here!
How dare you touch me?
My uniform, so sacred.
From cap to my shoe sole,
naught was there without reason.
A slap.
A kick.
Another slap.
Another kick.
Another...
Another...
Severe pound of mortal flesh.
Khaki mauling unlimited,
not without its attendant ''Sorry Sir!"
The dumb's plea to the blind.
Blood.
Gushing waters!
Blood.
Dripping, gushing.
Gushing! Dripping!
Cascading waters into distant seas.
Like play, like play.
Sudden collapse.
No! A faint,
Deathly hush.
Like play.
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