Education and National development: The Jonathan example

Many years ago, the Philosopher, Aristotle observed that the
difference between the educated and the uneducated is like
that between the living and the dead. To Aristophanes, it is
the dissimilarity between broken and unbroken horses. As
President of the US, Lyndon Johnson had declared: “At the
desk where I sit, I have learned one great truth. The answer
for all our national problems; the answer for all the problems
of the world — come to a single word. That word is
education.”
All these notions about education have been with man as far
back as we can trace its history. Efforts have always been
on-going to improve on education among nations and their
peoples.
It is universally acknowledged that the distinction between
success and failure lies in education; in the same way that
educational attainments explain the disparities in the growth
and development of nations. The great countries of Europe,
the Americas and Asia are what they are today due largely to
consistent investments in education. Great inventions and
innovations that have propelled the world to greater heights,
including going to the moon, are products of education.
The Asian power houses — China and India – have become
the dominant growth areas of the world; and this rooted in
education. Among the legion of examples are: India’s
ascendancy in ICT; Singapore’s elevation from the 3rd to the
1st World; China’s current economic ranking.
Coming home to Africa, the Mandelas, Ziks, Awolowos,
Nkrumahs, Nyereres, Balewas and others who fought for the
freedom of their peoples had the benefit of early exposure to
education. The achievements and development of Nigeria to
date in the polity, economy and society have come mostly
from educated minds. One can hardly imagine what would
have happened if we did not have lawyers, doctors, bankers,
academics and the like.
At the recent launch of UNESCO Education for All, the
organization’s Director in Nigeria, Professor Hassana Alidou
revealed that said that Nigeria shared some of the worst
education indicators in the world. The country has about 10
million out-of school children — the highest in the world – the
majority of who are in the North. Experts contend that this
deplorable state of education in Nigeria is traceable to the
long governance of the country by persons with limited educa­
tional attainments and the concomitant little appreciation of
its benefits. The statistics show that the levels of development
of the Zones in Nigeria and their embrace of civilization are
directly proportional to their educational exposure.
Alas, against this background and in the heat of electioneering
— during which the three dominant issues should be
education, education and education — it is very worrisome
that our leaders are actually busy talking down on education.
In one of the APC’s recent rallies, for instance, somebody
queried the country’s benefit in having a President Goodluck
Jonathan and his Vice, HE, Namadi Sambo with a Ph.D. and
B.Sc. Architecture respectively. With evident glee, the party
stalwart gave the ‘verdict’ that the educational attainments of
the two gentlemen have not translated into goodies for the
country. Even more embarrassing was that the APC crowd
cheered!
Education provides the platforms for planning and proper
articulation of policies – not just for today but for the future
as well. Since failure to plan is planning to fail, the generation
of good policies and programmes starts with recruiting
educated minds. Take the case of President Goodluck Jona­
than and the positive difference his tenure has made in educa­
tion:
Today, there is better and sustained funding of Universal Basic
Education in the country through the Universal Basic Education
Commission (UBEC). Among others, this is reflected in
improvements in the country’s performance in various
examinations. For instance, the WASCE pass rate was highest
in 2012-2013 [38% & 36%]; as compared to the 15%-25% of
2000-2009. NECO statistics reveal that in 2010, 9.36% of the
total number of candidates made 5 credits & above [including
in Mathematics & English]. Corresponding figures were 8.06%
in 2011; 32.22% in 2012; 48.37% in 2013 and 52.29% in 2014.
Unlike the road-shows of the past, President Jonathan further
demonstrated his love for and commitment to education with
the firm establishment of schools for the Almajiris in the
Northern parts of the country; even as he is taking on the chal­
lenge of male child drop-out of schools in the South. With the
establishment of 14 new universities – 10 in the North and 4
in the South – he has ensured that practically every State of
the Federation now has a Federal University – with the
additional benefits expanding admission opportunities and
development hubs.
Because of his exposure to education, President Jonathan has
done a lot of things differently — carefully assembling core
teams of people with the requisite educational exposure &
cognate experience. A few examples are instructive: Under the
competent management of the Minister of Agriculture & Rural
Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, a renowned Agricultural
Economist, the administration’s programme of action for the
strategic agricultural sector is encapsulated in the Agricultural
Transformation Action Plan [ATAP] and Agricultural
Transformation Agenda [ATA], with the active involvement of
practicing farmers, especially women and the youth. The key
emphases are to strengthen linkages between production,
marketing, processing & storage as well as between
agriculture & rural development. Critical success factors in
efforts to transform the sector to commendable heights
include funding, technological support, promoting Made-in-
Nigeria, concrete export support, Public-Private Partnerships
[PPPs], from subsistence to mechanized farming, natural
fertilizer from organic waste, agricultural extension services,
and agro-allied industries.
The ATA is easily the largest-ever government-enabled private
sector-led effort to develop Agriculture in Nigeria. It classifies
and treats agriculture as a development programme; a
business that would boost domestic food production, reduce
dependence on food imports, expand value-addition to locally-
produced agro-products and create wealth for millions of Ni­
gerians. In the process, the sector will become steadily
fruitful, efficient and competitive. On the bases of the success
stories to date, conservative projections expect additional 20
million tonnes of food to domestic supply and 3.5 million jobs
by 2015.
As Minister of Finance & Co-ordinating Minister for the
Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala has infused quite a num­
ber of creative measures in the financial sector and economy
at large. Initiatives of this globally-renowned and Harvrd-
trianed Economist & erstwhile Managing Director of the World
Bank include the Sovereign Wealth Saving Fund, Subsidy Re-
Investment Programme [SURE-P] and YOU-WIN scheme. The
creation of the Mortgage Refinancing Company to make long-
term funds available and increase liquidity in the sub-sector
has greatly boosted the Housing sector. Aside from generating
several thousand job opportunities, the boom is expected to
steadily reduce the nation’s housing deficit [currently
estimated at 17 million].
Prior to his appointment as Minister of Trade & Investment,
Dr. Olusegun Aganga had served as Managing Director of the
famed Goldman Sachs. Under his management of the Ministry,
Nigeria now has an Industrial Policy. Among other outcomes,
investment in the sugar sub-sector has grown from US$100
million in 2011 to some US$3.2 billion in 2013. The National
Automotive Policy has enabled the resuscitation of moribund
motor assembly companies such of PAN and ANNAMCO as
well as the firm emergence of others, including INNOSON and
NISSAN. In the same vein, the Cotton & Textile Development
Policy and the N200 billion SME [low interest]financing
scheme are progressively creating many jobs and expanding
the economy.
The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola
Johnson was the Managing Director of Accenture, and is doing
very well. Under her management, Nigeria now has an
unambiguous clear template on ICT development. Professor
Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Power served as Vice-
Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka; even as his
predecessor, Barth. Nnaji is a celebrated Professor of Robot­
ics. The Federal Ministry of Education is headed by a veteran
educationist & administrator, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau – ably
assisted by Mrs. Viola Onwuliri, a reputable Professor. The
Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki is a
highly-respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
These and other key Ministers of the Jonathan administration
could not have achieved the much they have without the
privilege and benefit of good education. This [and of course,
more]is what Jonathan wants for the entire country.
The person who raised the issue of Mr. President’s educa­
tional qualification also derided the value of the Vice-
President’s degree in Architecture, wondering how many roads
he has built. It is known that the VP has his schedules, while
there is a full-fledged Ministry of Works headed by two
Ministers.
Be that as it may, the Jonathan administration has done a lot
on road construction and transportation. Under SURE-P
funding alone, it has variously completed work and is
undertaking projects on several roads across the country.
These include: dualization of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road;
dualization of Kano-Potiskum- Maiduguri road; reconstruction
of Benin-Ore-Shagamu dual carriageway; rehabilitation of
Onitsha-Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway; construction
of Loko/Oweto Bridge across the Benue River; construction of
the 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha/Asaba; rehabilitation,
reconstruction & expansion works on the Lagos-Ibadan dual
carriageway; Calabar- Katsina Ala road, among other projects.
The railways, which became moribund over 30 years ago, have
been resuscitated. While the narrow gauges are coming back
into operation, the Federal Government is building standard
gauges as part of the 25 years Strategic Rail Development
Plan.
Even for the sake of argument and in the worst-case scenario,
the apparent failure of those that are educated to lead us is
not an excuse to go for those that are not educated. That
alternative is scary. At a point in history, companies like Enron
of America, Globacom of Canada and Lehman Brothers of
America [which were run by the best brains from the best
schools]experienced failing fortunes, but nobody advocated
that uneducated persons should take over their management.
That people still die in the hands of qualified medical doctors
is not a basis for us to start patronising Native Doctors.
Without dabbling into the certificate controversy, I have
always maintained that Major- General Muhammadu Buhari
[rtd.] is a respected elder statesman of integrity. Similarly, I
have also noted that educational qualification is not a
measure of integrity. However, I am constrained to add that
those who want to lead must strive to play with the laws of
the community and the norms of the community. Though none
of us is perfect, but the rules of engagement have prescribed
minimum qualifications to contest for public offices; and they
must be adhered to.
Mr. Peter Obi is the immediate past Governor of Anambra
State and the Deputy Director General, South, of the PDP
National Campaign Council.