EDUCATION HAS KILLED CREATIVITY IN NIGERIA. I
met a very brilliant young man a couple of days
ago and we got talking. He graduated from the
university a little over two years ago and he
narrated some of the ordeals he went through
while he was an undergraduate. As pathetic as the
story was, it's still not as bad as many stories
which I have heard from a number of graduates
from many Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
According to him, "I wasted six years of my life to
study a four-year course. And I didn't fail because
I wasn't serious or smart. Far from it, it's the
system that's bad." He continued, "I remember
clearly when a foreign student who had come for
research in our school engaged one of our first
class graduates; things totally fell apart. My Naija
friend was completely lost. Honestly, it's as if
we're still using the 20thcentury learning
techniques in our schools here."
Many Nigerian teachers and lecturers create the
notion that education is hard and so it's meant to
stress, provoke and/or make students suffer.
That's an absolutely wrong mentality which
unfortunately is already our culture—in fact; it's
more or less the bedrock of Nigeria's educational
system. Meanwhile, education was never
designed to intimidate. That's not the reason for
creating it. The real purpose of education is to
stimulate minds, provoke thoughts, birth
creativity and lots of innovation. Education in its
entirety helps to prepare the next generation of
leaders—those who would take the nation to a
higher level in the nearest future. And that's why
nations that understand and practice this secret
go on to experience the natural emergence of
charismatic, excellent and transformational
leaders. To be candid, this kind of system which
we currently operate is the key factor why Nigeria
is failing and ailing. The sooner we realise, the
better it is. And something needs to be done
urgently!
Majority of the students in Nigeria are groomed
to become "La cram-La pour-La forget" experts.
Teachers and lecturers expect you to give them
what's written in their notes/handouts word-for-
word during tests and exams. It's so funny to
believe that some students even fail all because
they attempt to be creative and think outside the
box. They are often seen as "Too-Know" and such
students pay dearly for it. This even becomes
worse when they are dealing with "Academic
machos" that have turned themselves togodsall in
the name of imparting knowledge.
Today, an average citizen of Nigeria is very eager
to accumulate C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-E-S at the
expense of vast knowledge and this is because
the system encourages that. So far you can cram
and pour, you will get your grades other things
being equal. When you get your good grades
(preferably first class), it's presumed that a ready-
made job awaits you somewhere somehow.
Whether you still retain the knowledge that gave
you those grades, which in turn gave you the
certificates doesn't matter anymore. After all, you
are a first-class product. This is the main reason
why some people forge certificates to get fixed
up. This system of learning totally kills creativity—
you are not taught to use your own minds to
create new and more effective ways of doing
things; of solving problems. Our system rewards
certificates and not knowledge and creativity!
What about dissertations? They are products of
research done by students. Therefore, it's
expected that they should be used to improve
learning and the system in general. In our own
institutions, they are packed in the stores or the
so called libraries and later become dusty if they
are lucky enough. It's painful to note that final
year students run from pillar to post to produce
these documents; they spend abundant time, lots
of energy and resources to get it done. Please tell
me how this type of system can easily produce
world class leaders?
Alas, this inefficient system is not limited to higher
institutions of learning alone, primary and
secondary schools are not left out. In the last few
weeks, I have been privileged to speak to
thousands of students on the platform of Hope
Rising Foundation (HRF) Nigeria during the
organization's secondary school tour. I personally
observed that a lot of these students are gifted,
talented, and creative. But, are they being
discovered and specially taken care of? Capital
No. Nigeria's educational system is not dynamic; it
doesn't give enough room to develop innate skills
extensively. Students are used to the usual old
method of "just read hard and get good grades".
They are not groomed to face the existing
challenges of the 21stcentury; they are not
tutored to follow their passion and use that to
create solutions to the present day problems.
Though many students are willing, the existing
learning style and environment is holding them
back.
According to www.edition.cnn.com/2015/04/30/
africa/zuriel-oduwole- filmmaker/, a Nigerian born
and bred in the US is the world's youngest
filmmaker—She's made 4 films, interviewed 14
heads of state—oh, and she's only 12! Another
Nigerian in the UK is an undergraduate at 10,
plans to do PhD at 12 and go ahead to establish
her own bank at 15 www.edition.cnn
.com/2015/03/09 /africa/esther-okade-maths-
genius/ I strongly believe that there are many
exceptional brains like them in Nigeria but their
stories are never heard. Why? This is because the
system has 'arrested' them.
Nigerians and by extension Africans rank among
the best brains in the world, but the educational
system has been a very great impediment. The
system must be fixed so that our young minds
can truly become who they want to be and not
what they are forced to be. Leadership courses
must be introduced into the curriculum both at
secondary and tertiary education levels so that
we can have our best brains well prepared. This
way, we will begin to have leaders of excellence in
every profession and sector in the country, and
on the continent of Africa. No doubt, we shall rule
the world someday!
By Kofoworola Ayodeji. A Writer and
Transformational Speaker that's passionately
involved in nation building of the Nigerian state.
Follow on twitter @Generalkopho
met a very brilliant young man a couple of days
ago and we got talking. He graduated from the
university a little over two years ago and he
narrated some of the ordeals he went through
while he was an undergraduate. As pathetic as the
story was, it's still not as bad as many stories
which I have heard from a number of graduates
from many Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
According to him, "I wasted six years of my life to
study a four-year course. And I didn't fail because
I wasn't serious or smart. Far from it, it's the
system that's bad." He continued, "I remember
clearly when a foreign student who had come for
research in our school engaged one of our first
class graduates; things totally fell apart. My Naija
friend was completely lost. Honestly, it's as if
we're still using the 20thcentury learning
techniques in our schools here."
Many Nigerian teachers and lecturers create the
notion that education is hard and so it's meant to
stress, provoke and/or make students suffer.
That's an absolutely wrong mentality which
unfortunately is already our culture—in fact; it's
more or less the bedrock of Nigeria's educational
system. Meanwhile, education was never
designed to intimidate. That's not the reason for
creating it. The real purpose of education is to
stimulate minds, provoke thoughts, birth
creativity and lots of innovation. Education in its
entirety helps to prepare the next generation of
leaders—those who would take the nation to a
higher level in the nearest future. And that's why
nations that understand and practice this secret
go on to experience the natural emergence of
charismatic, excellent and transformational
leaders. To be candid, this kind of system which
we currently operate is the key factor why Nigeria
is failing and ailing. The sooner we realise, the
better it is. And something needs to be done
urgently!
Majority of the students in Nigeria are groomed
to become "La cram-La pour-La forget" experts.
Teachers and lecturers expect you to give them
what's written in their notes/handouts word-for-
word during tests and exams. It's so funny to
believe that some students even fail all because
they attempt to be creative and think outside the
box. They are often seen as "Too-Know" and such
students pay dearly for it. This even becomes
worse when they are dealing with "Academic
machos" that have turned themselves togodsall in
the name of imparting knowledge.
Today, an average citizen of Nigeria is very eager
to accumulate C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-E-S at the
expense of vast knowledge and this is because
the system encourages that. So far you can cram
and pour, you will get your grades other things
being equal. When you get your good grades
(preferably first class), it's presumed that a ready-
made job awaits you somewhere somehow.
Whether you still retain the knowledge that gave
you those grades, which in turn gave you the
certificates doesn't matter anymore. After all, you
are a first-class product. This is the main reason
why some people forge certificates to get fixed
up. This system of learning totally kills creativity—
you are not taught to use your own minds to
create new and more effective ways of doing
things; of solving problems. Our system rewards
certificates and not knowledge and creativity!
What about dissertations? They are products of
research done by students. Therefore, it's
expected that they should be used to improve
learning and the system in general. In our own
institutions, they are packed in the stores or the
so called libraries and later become dusty if they
are lucky enough. It's painful to note that final
year students run from pillar to post to produce
these documents; they spend abundant time, lots
of energy and resources to get it done. Please tell
me how this type of system can easily produce
world class leaders?
Alas, this inefficient system is not limited to higher
institutions of learning alone, primary and
secondary schools are not left out. In the last few
weeks, I have been privileged to speak to
thousands of students on the platform of Hope
Rising Foundation (HRF) Nigeria during the
organization's secondary school tour. I personally
observed that a lot of these students are gifted,
talented, and creative. But, are they being
discovered and specially taken care of? Capital
No. Nigeria's educational system is not dynamic; it
doesn't give enough room to develop innate skills
extensively. Students are used to the usual old
method of "just read hard and get good grades".
They are not groomed to face the existing
challenges of the 21stcentury; they are not
tutored to follow their passion and use that to
create solutions to the present day problems.
Though many students are willing, the existing
learning style and environment is holding them
back.
According to www.edition.cnn.com/2015/04/30/
africa/zuriel-oduwole- filmmaker/, a Nigerian born
and bred in the US is the world's youngest
filmmaker—She's made 4 films, interviewed 14
heads of state—oh, and she's only 12! Another
Nigerian in the UK is an undergraduate at 10,
plans to do PhD at 12 and go ahead to establish
her own bank at 15 www.edition.cnn
.com/2015/03/09 /africa/esther-okade-maths-
genius/ I strongly believe that there are many
exceptional brains like them in Nigeria but their
stories are never heard. Why? This is because the
system has 'arrested' them.
Nigerians and by extension Africans rank among
the best brains in the world, but the educational
system has been a very great impediment. The
system must be fixed so that our young minds
can truly become who they want to be and not
what they are forced to be. Leadership courses
must be introduced into the curriculum both at
secondary and tertiary education levels so that
we can have our best brains well prepared. This
way, we will begin to have leaders of excellence in
every profession and sector in the country, and
on the continent of Africa. No doubt, we shall rule
the world someday!
By Kofoworola Ayodeji. A Writer and
Transformational Speaker that's passionately
involved in nation building of the Nigerian state.
Follow on twitter @Generalkopho