Fix Education, Redeem the Nation! by Lanre Olagunju

Education is admirable and its importance in a multinational state with a population of over 140 million, with a federation of 36states and Federal Capital Territory with over 350 languages like Nigeria can’t be overemphasized. Transformation of the mind and economy will only remain a frightening vision without a quality structure of either formal or informal education or at best both.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has stated clearly that the main responsibility of the Federal government in basic education is in the sphere of policy formulation, coordination and monitoring.

The federal government is solely responsible for the funding of the tertiary institutions, anyway, the unity schools and technical colleges benefit from the direct control of the federal government as well. A great mass of our secondary schools are under the domain of state government including a considerable proportion of the nation’s tertiary institution. Local governments are saddled with the managerial responsibility for primary education. Nevertheless, both state and federal government exercise appropriate oversight functions from time to time.

Though Primary and junior secondary education constitutes basic education that is free and compulsory, yet you would rather feel at home in any of the Nigerian prisons be it Kirikiri or panti than these ‘supposed to be’ places of learning.


The only question you may want to ask is if this is truly a class or an asylum.

Before now every single community in the country has got a customary pattern of educating its people and this traditional pattern of education safeguards socialization and inter-generational transmission of cultural heritage.

Considering that Islam and Christianity religion are both foreign. At the arrival of the Islamic religion, the indigenous method of educating was infused with the Islamic system and that was solely responsible for the highly sophisticated, organized and literary evolution in Islam oriented region. The advent of the Christian missionary brought western education, though it never received a cheerful embrace in areas of strong Islamic influence while areas with strong Christianity influence embraced the new form of education. Till date, the educational imbalance between the two areas can be greatly attributed to this historical occurrence.


The English weather-like changeability that Nigeria economy has suffered over the decades has largely rubbed on the educational sector. During the oil boom era, centralization was introduced into the country’s education policy and very ambitious but short-lived expansion programs were embarked upon by government with the objective of increasing access to all the levels of education. This was an era when Nigeria had an annual GDP of 6.2%, although 90% accounted for oil. During this oil boom, government conveniently intervened in all aspect of education, so our education sector was vibrant though the vibrancy suffered a natural death at the end of the oil boom in the 70’s when our short sighted government became terribly broke and then household poverty went northward.



Consequently, poor families couldn’t send their children to school, either because school was too expensive to afford or because the return on education wasn’t encouraging. The volume of drop out increased, and children couldn’t but become vital utensils to fetch extra- income for the family upkeep. In fact, the nation admitted that it has over 10million children out of the school system. Report from a research study on open Apprenticeship scheme revealed some of the reasons why some kids don’t attend school include poverty, desire for work so as to earn a quick living.




The epileptic state of government controlled education birthed the intervention of more private participation in education delivery. Nigeria has a country has fulfilled almost all of the index of a failed state and no doubt the educational sector isn’t any better. After all, pictures don’t lie. Since our leaders don’t have their children in public schools or even in private schools in the country but the very expensive ones in the United States and the UK we can’t but keep crying over spilled milk. In 2003, during campaign for governorship elections the former Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi did all he could to influence voters to his side by promising to bring back his children to Nigeria from England to attend public schools as a proof for his love for Nigeria. Did he fulfill the promise? Your guess is as good as mine.


The federal executive council has established six new universities in each of the country’s geopolitical zones in order to bridge the admission gap for students seeking universities admission. Last year alone, only 527,000 out of 867, 000 candidates who actually met the cut off mark for the UTME could gain admission into the university. Infact, the entire university system can only accommodate less than 20% of those seeking admission into our almost ruined universities. Its crystal clear that there is huge absence of planning, monitoring and investment in a sector so vital to the human capital development.


Since the 90’s till now, the funding of the tertiary education sector has been awkward, since different administration showed preference for other priorities including personal gratification having a larger than life share. It’s so terrible that allocations can’t cater for salaries and allowances of personnel. Libraries and laboratories are now in a shadow of themselves. Within 1962 and 2002 the total number of student’s enrollment skyrocketed from 2000 to 500,000 without an equivalent provision for expansion of infrastructure. The idea of creating 44 more universities, starting with the first six isn’t a poor one itself but the question is, is it not like treating a symptom while nurturing the disease?, considering that the five main challenges facing Nigeria universities are poor funding, quality, access, relevance of programmes and university governance and management. Consequently, employers are bitter that majority of Nigerian university graduates are unemployable. Or how else do you describe a B.Sc holder whose interview had to be conducted in pidgin English or in local language? Since that’s the only safe way the company could safeguard its building from oral bombs before ventilating the "we would get back to you" phrase.

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Free Market System Would Free Africa by Lanre Olagunju

Despite the surplus that dwells plenteously on its fertile land, regarding the abundance of human capital, Africa, being the second largest of Earth’s seven continents, covering 23 percent of the world’s total land area and containing 13 percent of the world’s population still, Africa pursues traditional subsistence activities, which continues to provide sustenance for the majority of Africans. Till date, in spite of increasing levels of industrialization in many countries, Africa’s raw materials are exclusively being produced primarily for export. It’s crystal clear that being blessed is not enough. Countries like Niger and Nigeria among others boast of a whole lot of unexploited natural resources yet to be utilized.

Africa is rich in nature but richer in corruption, richer in customized and modern serfdom, richer in deceitfulness in government. Therefore, the benefits of freedom and equality that free market economy provides cant but remain alien to Africa.

Through deliberate reform or violent fight back, most of African nations won independence in the 1950s and 1960s. The colonial era is gone and long forgotten but many African nations have spent their post colonial era trying various forms of failed government with Marxism and military rule reigning longest? Of all the several effects of slavery, which Africa had more than enough to muster; the slavery of the mind is the greatest. Slaves don’t have the rights to think on their own or experiment new ideas, slaves don’t own anything, slaves don’t invest or buy because they have been bought. This is the only effective method slave masters use in retaining lordship over their subjects. Consequently, tyranny in government in the post colonial era is a carryover from the colonial era which is long over but with seemingly everlasting effect.



Over dependence on foreign aid and ‘kleptocratic’ governmental mismanagement is destroying Africa faster than the after effects of war. Or how else does one explain that funds gotten from foreign aids are been siphoned by government officials or at best, spent on things the funds have no business with.

A number of projects don’t see the light of the day while many die an unusual death even before maturity. Why? Over 80% of the funds goes into buying cars, office furniture, meetings, entertainment and the rest of the belly turning expenses that has got no business with the funds in the first place. This is a usual occurrence in Africa and the main reason poverty has become a second nature.

It’s worth noting that despite increasing population, food production has increased by 90% all over the world and this has got a ripple effect on real food price so as to decline by 75% in the last five decades. Unfortunately, many African nations are alien to greater agricultural productivity, internal economic freedom, international trade, a market system without over burdening government intervention, free financial market; which are all factors that brought about such a phenomenal transformation in world food production.

The most successful set of ground rules for coordinating economic activities is the system of protected private property rights which also include the protection of life and limbs and more importantly a private autonomy to compete under the rule of law. This also is out rightly absent and void in many African nations. Public policy normally do not co-ordinate human conduct as good as free market. Albert Einstein couldn’t have said it better when he said “everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom” many traditional collective pursuits such as the provision of water or electricity are nowadays satisfied more effectively by competing private providers.

A critical study of India’s economy reveals that over population, colonial exploitation, pervasive corruption, chaotic democracy, high illiteracy, anti-materialism and fatalistic culture is not solely responsible for India’s poverty rather absence of economic freedom.

A country with a per capita income of US$500 and about US$3100 in purchasing power parity is no doubt a poor one. But India is rich in potential, powered and driven by ordinary uneducated people who have mastered and outlived the excessive involvement of government and byzantine policy which pedals every aspect of the India economy since 1950.

In the 1930s, India emerged one of the developing countries in the world to manufacture automobiles, but interestingly these inventions are made by poor illiterates. Rather than support and encourage such brilliant innovation, the law requires an unaffordable cost to test run such invention. None of these vehicles currently qualify for registration and they aren’t permitted to move on public road under the law. What a law! Consequently, India has one of the lowest densities of vehicles in the world but being a pluralistic democracy, it’s pretty easier to bend this tortuous and anti-developmental regulation. Besides automobile industry, the IT revolution birthed by the vibrant informal sectors is also facing stifling growth due to excess taxation and detrimental government policies, same goes for other economic sector in India.

The relentless and dogged people of India have made it known that consumers are willing to pay for reliable services like electricity, education, automobiles, pay television and the rest. Also, given the opportunity and conducive environment, entrepreneurs can expose the myths of natural monopoly even in sectors as conventional as electricity.

The wrong notion that markets will only thrive amongst developed infrastructure has been proved mistaken by the informal economy sector of India. The reality is that wealth is accumulated through markets and not necessarily a prerequisite for markets to exist.

The revolution and transformation Africa longs for and desire might never materialize until the resurrection and proper use of her dead capital. An estimated $9.3trillion of dead capital exists in developing and former communist countries and these are assets that got the potential to initiate surplus production and increase productivity if adequately maximized. Wealth has to be created in Africa and the most appropriate way is to create incentive for individuals to do so. Free market is the path out of poverty.

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FROM ME TO YOU by Lanre Olagunju

Let me start my expressing my heartfelt gratitude to all those who made my day on the third of June, which is precisely four days ago. Men! You guys made me feel like a celebrity that I am… or did I hear you say potential celeb? As I write, I struggle with the urge to mention names of those who made this precious but simple me feel like a star. No superstar. But since the list is an endless one, just permit me say a golden thank you to you all. And to those who forgot there would always be a next time. I understand. This is my simple gift to everyone, including you, and it’s from me to you. It’s revealing a part of me. Enjoy.

“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happened to them all”. In these seemingly unfair but just words I solace and build my arsenal for constructive optimism. Exactly two decades and five years ago, I vacated the heavens, though with no choice of choosing my location, neither was I encumbered with the responsibility of picking a race like no one was. But this I do and do conscientiously too, I remind myself always of what I must become, because presently there is a robust distinct between the content of my production manual and my present performance.

With every beginning you would agree that there is most times an element of shapelessness, obscurity, and emptiness, just like the initial case of planet earth where we all now dwell and reside. Nevertheless, the incentive for the mishap of past years dwells in the confidence that tomorrow is absolutely incomparable to the present. Anyway I’m armed with the knowing that each day unravels the destiny I hold in high esteem, and I’m quite fortunate to realize early enough that it’s absolutely my responsibility and mine alone to strengthen and fortify myself, since I've got the intelligence that “no one owes you nothing”. This singular factor I know will make me; because it first changed my perception therefore I can truly say it has changed my life.

As the full glimpse of how the beginning began fades bit by bit, I can only crave that some memories shed off me as the process of ecdysis in reptiles. I sometimes ask how come I still maintain a healthy self esteem, despite all that a particular aunt did to ensure that I look very miserable while I stayed under the nose of my parents. In case aunty ever gets to read this, I’m saying this because I've forgiven you but that I haven’t forgotten.

Many friends feel I should just have my name as Lanre, but I so much nurse the apprehension that the name would lose its beauty and meaning since the richness of a name dwells in its full pronunciation. -so I think! By a way of digression, have you ever considered if your name has got any effect on you? I’m African and I think mine does. I long realized that in my case, the end is most times the compensation of the seemingly unpleasant or cloudy beginning. However, things just get better and better over time with little or sometimes no effort.



Let me open you to one of my very deep secret as long as you promise that I can trust you with my life. After all we all have secrets. This crime I have committed so well. See, despite that I claim to be a celibate at twenty five; I spent the ingenuous days of my life in the warm arms of another man’s wife. To this effect, for every reason under the sun I would choose the person of my mum over and over again. Though if I must confess, there were times I considered her as over demanding, due to her endless list of dos and donts. Heavens knows that words like “jeki baba e de” meaning your dad will handle your punishment at his return sends shivers all over my spine just at their ventilation. I dread these words much more than anything I can ever remember, at least as I write. The feeling of fear and unease can be compared to the cold that runs through the spinal column of a young promising folk who has just been informed that his new status includes ‘positive to HIV’.

If you ask me I would sincerely say that I know better and truly I do. Lanre now understands that she was only trying to emphasize and re-emphasize why we must uphold good character at all times. Can I trust you again? She mustn’t hear this o. Even till now I still considered some of her nagging as over-reacting. Nevertheless, I remain her number one fan.

I’m pretty detailed and analytical, and that can sometimes be quite irritating. I want to know all the whys and why nots before venturing into anything. That makes me worry than an average person does. And the mind you will agree is a remarkable mechanism. The ability of the mind to fulfill intricate tasks with such an amazing speed is notoriously incredible. When I say “what could be wrong?” like I often ask myself. The invisible me compiles and cross reference a list of results just like Google does. A list comprising of things I should have done that I didn’t or things that I should have done better, and in other cases, things that I should have avoided. All of this crops up at a blinding speed. Being the kind that frequently looks out for that which is unfixed so I can fix, my brain succeeds at each point to shower me with a countless list of things I should be worried about and that sometimes, sincerely, dumps me in a perfect state of madness even amidst sanity. Any way am gradually getting over it through personal therapy.



I’ve got so much trust in God, infact he’s a friend who also doubles as a lover. A lover who has been conscious of me while I was unmindful of Him, this lover cum super friend has lent dignity to my existence. In fact I’ve been blinded by the brightness of wholesome affection. In His seeming “foolishness” I have found deep wisdom and direction, in His arms have I found incorruptible affection.

Lanre speak faster than he naturally can. So it makes me sound like a stammer because I may have to repeat my sentences all over again at a slower pace. So I can be clear. But thank God I’m not. I have a great taste for high flying life. I love the red carpets and the green ones too. I use to be among those who say guys shouldn’t wear a chain, but these days I carry one around my neck round the clock. The sentimental feeling behind this particular one i'm wearing broke my long time belief, and also opened my taste for quality neck ornament because if it is not gold it won’t stay.

I have repeatedly failed at several attempts to get out of the poor rat race legally, that I’ve failed before is the reason why I will attain legally. Am contended with what I have and also with what I don’t have. I just don’t feel less important that I can’t afford the blackberry of my choice. But I feel deeply insecure when I know or feel that I don’t just know enough. I studied hydrology, only to discover later that I have a natural knack for psychology and the social sciences. I love to study people and relate their experiences and exposure to why they behave differently. But since it is erroneously believed that the smartest kids should be in the sciences, I headed for the sciences. Anyway, I’m gradually tracing my steps.

Against all insinuations that am overtly extroverted. I know that I could be quite shy at times. The real me that others don’t get to see just wants to stay indoor as long as I can, burying my nose in one book or the other or better still stare at my notepad all day either writing or reading as if my whole life depends on it.

I cherish two categories of people, the intelligent ones and the sincere ones. I tolerate the unintelligent though you don’t get to learn much from them. But I hate those who are not sincere or those who feel they can always cunningly outsmart others. A good number of my friends will ever remain big share holders in my success. Infact some of them can’t get me offended anymore, less they take my woman…lol. I’ve been blessed by the content of their intellect and in every sense I am better for it. There’s this particular one who has an amazing ability to help me overcome my flaws and some of my inadequacies. We’ve stayed long enough together to be referred to as twin brothers. And indeed he is. And there is another who makes me feel that I've got a lot to do and that I haven’t started despite that I’m just as unique as he is. I call him a workaholic and really he is.

I love people, but I love little children more, there is no point trusting the former blindly, because of its grave consequences, but for the latter I’m always fascinated by their pride in simplicity and ability to forgive before been offended.

I can’t wait to behold Daniel and Daniela though I sometimes wish that kids give birth to their mothers….lol. I’m not taking any girl serious for now due to simple yet complex reasons I don’t want to discuss. I’ve got many good and fantastic female friends, anyway some are seen and others are unseen (thanks to the internet). And there exist some that I love them enough not to love them at all . But for this marriage thing, since they say it’s more of endurance and tolerance it brings me more fear than a promise of bliss.

I love to talk and some are of the opinion that I’m talkative; I love those with a wicked sense of humor because I love to laugh and love to make others laugh too, someone said I have a smiling face and therefore nicknamed me‘Ismaila’. I lived with anointed dissers in my first and second year in the university, there and then I learnt to diss intelligently and harmlessly too.

That I belong to a family where babies die at eighty-plus is the guarantee that I would be around for a long time. But somehow I sincerely always nurse this fear of growing old not for death sake. ‘Abeg!’ but because of my set goals and their timing. I’ve always wondered where I was when young and brilliant folks like the Chude Jideonwos, Debola Williams, Tosin Otitojus, and Toyosi Akereles of this world started out with life while their peers were fascinated with childish fantasies. I'm more knowledgeable not to compare myself to others, other than be inspired by their mind blowing achievements. Larry will succeed and you too.

Cheers folks like mum will endlessly say. It’s well.

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