The importance of education in the archives of any social being cannot be over emphasized. This is because it equips the individual with the basic tools of social relation with which he can surmount the challenges that may face him in life.
To this end and in the of pursuit this noble goal, many well- meaning individuals and potential breadwinners of every family strive to get through the four walls of institutions of higher learning. However, while many succeed in this laudable quest, others are not so fortunate to get to a positive end of their desire. Yet, there is another group who many apply a means which they believe to be justifiable by its end.
The report of a young lady, who attempted suicide for not being admitted into the Delta state university Abraka, was filed in recently. But I stand to wonder why this should be. Why university education should be considered a do or die affair or rather, the last resort in life.
The. reason for this may not be unconnected with the misplacement of emphasis or more appropriately, the over emphasis and certificates as the prerequisite for recognition and acceptance in virtually all spheres of human existence in our nation today. This ugly trend has resulted in an increasing number of candidates seeking admission into the limited tertiary institutions in the nation whose infrastructures are in close romance with decay. Those who cannot survive in this quest may be compelled to go outside the shores of Nigeria thereby resulting in a drift in intellectual and human capital resources.
In a bid to solve this problem, some languid authority whom we have entrusted with the mantle of leadership have decided to establish more universities across the nation. As a noble as the idea this verbal altruism could sound, it would have made a good topic of debate for our proudly loquacious parliamentarian if only it incorporated the proper funding of the existing universities and other institutions of higher learning. But this is not the case as the old universities are left to grapple with the multi-dimensional imbroglio that has besought them in the past decades.
The socio-economic impact of establishing more certificate factories without a corresponding increase in funding that can engender good quality education and the building up of human capital resources, is enormous. History is replete with the unabating accounts of how graduate employment seekers strive for nonexistent opportunities in the labour market. It is not unusual to see over 10.000 people, including the ghosts of the dead, applying for just a single job space. This should be discouraged.
Unemployment is one of the fundamental developmental challenges facing Nigeria at the moment. Research have shown that unemployment was high in the 1980s, but the available reports from various local and international bodies, and the glaring evidence of joblessness in this decades are clear indications that there was no time in Nigeria’s chequered history where unemployment is as serious as now. One cannot really conclude that the government at one level or the other have not done anything at one time or the other, to reduce unemployment in Nigeria.
For instance, the creation of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and its skills acquisition programmes, NAPEP, PAP, the SURE P,YOUWIN, just to mention a few, are some of the various intervention mechanisms aimed at ensuring economic growth that is rich with job creation opportunities.
Besides, the Federal Government over the years has been claiming strong real GDP growth rate measuring at 6% or 6.5% since 2005 till date (see Aganga, 2010 and Ogunmade, 2013). This is apparently a paradox. A situation whereby, there is a decade of strong real GDP of 6 5% economic growth, and in the same period, unemployment rate continue to rise annually from 11. 9% in 2005 to 19.7% in 2009, and over 37% in 2013% (Aganga, 2010 and Ogunmade, 2013).
The apparent economic growth has not lead to economic development. The rate of poverty is still very high, the industries are still in shambles, technological development is at rudimental stage, income inequality is high, mother mortality rate and child mortality rate and in fact, Nigeria development index is still very low.
Unemployment according to ILO, is among the biggest threats to social stability in many countries (including Nigeria), putting the global rate at 12.6% (ILO, 2012). When compared with her counterparts in the continent, ‘Nigeria’s unemployment crisis is more serious. For instance, South Africa’s unemployment rate is currently standing at 25.2%, and in Ghana is about 14%. in 2010, while Nigeria is around 37%. Recent statistics by the World Bank has put the unemployment rate in Nigeria at 22 percent, while the youth unemployment rate is 38 percent.
The report shows that the bracket age of 15-35 years olds account for close to 60 percent of the Nigeria’s population and 30 percent of the work force. The report also indicates that approximately 4 million people entered into the labour market every year (Subair, 2013). This situation is pathetic considering the fact that the country that is blessed with a lot human and natural resources capable of providing employment for the teeming youths in Nigeria. As noted by the World Bank report, the youth hold the key to achieving the vision 2020.
The government should move fast to curtail the scourge. The chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Employment Programme (Sure-P), Dr. Christopher Kolade, has bemoaned the rising rate of unemployment in the country, saying that no fewer than 40 million Nigerians are without jobs. Even before Dr. Kolade spoke, Nigerians were already aware of the dire Situation as unemployment rate in the country has been increasing over the years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’ unemployment rate averaged 14.60 per cent from 2006 until 2011, reaching an all –time high of 23.90 percent in December 2011.
The NBS measures unemployment rate by the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force. In its Economic Report on Nigeria released in May this year, the World Bank noted that” Nigeria’s annual growth rates that average over seven percent in official data during the last decade place the nation among the fastest Growing economies in the world noting that the growth has been concentrated particularly. On trade and agriculture, which would suggest substantial welfare benefits for many Nigerians. Nevertheless, poverty reduction and distress for an increasing number of Nigerians. Progress towards the fulfilment of many of the Millennium Development Goals has been slow, and the country ranked 153 out of 186 countries in the 2013 United Nations Human Development Index.” According to the World Bank, “Job creation in Nigeria has been inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age population.
The Official unemployment rate had steadily increased from 12 percent of the working age population in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2011. Preliminary indications are that this upward trend continued in 2012. In a similar observation in June, the Honorary International investors Council (HIIC) pointed to what it called “the growing unemployment rate and the rising number of poor skilled workforce” in the country. The Council, headed by Baroness Lynda Chalker, was inaugurated in 2004 as a presidential advisory body to attract global financial players into the Nigerian economy. Although not much positive impact could be attributed to HIIC’s efforts in Nigeria, the Council urges the government “to improve on its synergy with the other tiers of government and the industry in order to build basic education geared towards enhancing capacity of the workforce for industrialization of the economy”. It goes without saying that the nation unemployment rate has become a source of Concern to government.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, admitted that the spate of unemployment was giving her sleepless nights. Quoting the National Bureau of Statistics, the minister declared that “each year, about 1.8m young Nigerians enter into our labour market and we need to ensure that the economy provides job for them”. Okonjo-Iweala blamed the ineffectiveness of government developmental programmes on the fact that Nigeria lacked the institution capacity to harness the gains of the programmes. In her words, “When you look at Nigeria, for over 50 to 60 years, we’ve been working without the key institutions that some other people have.
We keep making stop gap solutions. For 50 years, we didn’t have a Bureau for Public Procurement; for 50 years, we didn’t have a Debt Management Office. So many of the institutions that we have now are new and if you stand back, you’ll see there are still many gaps. It is now our job to try to fill those gaps.” The faster government moves in that direction the better as we have seen the concomitant effect of youth unemployment manifests itself in various forms across the country. Kidnapping, armed robbery and even militancy in the Niger Delta and to some extent the Boko Haram menace could be identified as some of the negative outcome of unemployment.
In a quest to develop this research, people opinion has been called upon, so as to synchronize the topic from a two side perspective. It was perceived by this writer that those who were for the topic are more than those against it.
According to Onwuemene Racheal who is a gradate from University of Port-Harcourt and studied Botany, said she is now in Business today, because of the situation of the country, which is all about survival of the fittest. She said many are called but few are chosen, that since there was no future in are field of study, she had to deviate so as to face her rather faceless challenges.
According to Blessing Akporuno, she said she went to University just to back up her business to give her an edge over her counterpart. She also said that it was not her will to go to university after much attempt and trial after secondary school, but for the way are things are seem not to be right without education.
It was gathered that some girls go to university so as an increase in bride price could be made possible Their ideology was that the higher the educational certificate acquired, the higher their bride price
According to Ezeobi Samuel, a student of University of Benin said he believes university is a tool in making dreams come through, but may not be considered as the all in all He adds that with the way the country turns out to be, more degree needs to be acquired so there will be a higher chances of hope.
Ekene Paul believes University is not the end. He noted that there are so many first class students out there seeking to get job, but many are still yet to find. He said what makes a student, is self-quality, what the student possess and how he or she can be of help and resourceful to the national or worldwide development.
Speaking also Gabriel, a father of three, said he encourages his children in skill acquisition (hand work) He said should encourage this so that if there is no upcoming job the educational way, the skill acquired can be of help so as to sustain a student while he or she seeks for an organizational job.
However Onyebuchi Kelechi in his opinion believes “University is not the last resort- expedient – a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one. Life itself is not a one way traffic, there are always. options, if you can’t walk, you take a ride on a bus, a train or you fly etc. There are professional development programs, and other institutions one could attend and still achieve all he or she wants to achieve. A university degree is not a ticket to a successful career or life. He went further in addressing the unemployment rate in Nigeria, saying we as a country are highly certified , most places of work, if not all, BS is consider as the Alfa and omega of all degrees, making the disparity between BSc and HND possible. Where a BS holder is given a look in (as regards job opportunity, before any other certificate therefore allowing the unrelenting rush to get a university degree by hook or by crook. Once the over emphasis on certification and discrimination between degrees are removed employment will be based on who knows, understands and can do a better job and deliver, then it will be an animal kingdom where all animals are equal and none is more equal than the other”.
It is not all about gaining admission into the university or what the world as for you, it is what you have to offer the world and how you can be of benefit to it. As vital as tertiary education is, it should not be seen an end in itself but as a means to an end. This means that whatever one may wish to achieve, there are more than one legitimate means to actualize it. The unnecessary emphasis that characterize paper qualifications must be done away with. Efforts should be geared towards producing individual with intellectual and technical skills
Thanks to the National University Commission (NUC) which has introduced the compulsory entrepreneurship course that prepares students for the real life experiences. This should be continued and improved and be more involving and practical in nature.
With so many thoughts and aspiration of gaining admission into the university having the ideology that it is the ‘all in all’, Students should not be white-washed to believe that certificate is the ultimate of all things, because even some of the best brains in the world like Aristotle, St. Augustine, never had an access to university education yet they are being studied in various academic literatures and disciplines. University therefore is not the last resort, self-efficacy is.
