Nigeria’s Corruption Status Painful, Fueled
• Govt Jeopardising Nigeria’s Future With Low Investment In Education • Young Ladies Don’t Have To Cut Corners, Sleep Around To Make It • Church Has Pivotal Role In Moulding The Future Of The Younger Generation
Professor Olajumoke Morenikeji is a scholar in the fields of parasitology, ecology and environmental biology in the Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan ( UI). The Teen’s Pastor is Chair, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park and Chair, Pangolin Conservation Guild Nigeria ( PCGN). The former Director of Ibadan Zoological Garden ( UI zoo), who just finished as visiting professor at the Koladaisi University, Ibadan ( KDU- I). In this interview with ROTIMI AGBOLUAJE, said Nigeria’s corruption status is demoralizing and fueled by some evil and selfish leaders.
RAnalysts have said the nation’s educational system needs to be tweaked. As an educational administrator, what can the current government do to reset the system? ESETTING and improving Nigeria’s educational system is a complex challenge that requires coordinated efforts and longterm planning. I’d like to make some recommendations for the current government to consider. First, increase funding. The Federal Government needs to allocate a larger portion of the national budget to education to address infrastructure deficiencies, hire qualified teachers, and provide adequate learning materials.
Second, teacher training and development are important. The government must invest in continuous training and professional development programmes for teachers to enhance their skills and keep them updated with modern teaching methods.
Curriculum reform must be undertaken. The national curriculum must be reviewed and updated to make it more relevant to the needs of the 21st century, including incorporating STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects and critical thinking skills.
Also, quality assurance must not be overlooked. Policy makers must implement rigorous quality assurance mechanisms to ensure that educational standards are maintained at all levels, from primary to tertiary education.
There is a need to develop strategies to improve access to education, particularly in underserved and rural areas, including the construction of more schools and the provision of scholarships or incentives for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Digital learning is pivotal. It is pivotal to integrate technology into the education system to enhance teaching and learning, especially in remote areas. This includes providing students and teachers with access to digital devices and internet connectivity.
Vocational, and technical education programmes must be embraced. This will equip students with practical skills that can lead to employment opportunities and entrepreneurship.
The government needs to encourage partnerships between the government, private sector, and civil society organisations to jointly address education challenges, share resources, and innovate in education delivery.
Investment in research and development in the field of education to identify best practices and evidence- based policies for continuous improvement and establish a robust system for assessing student performance, teacher effectiveness, and school accountability to track progress and identify areas that require intervention.
Above all, the government needs to embrace international collaboration, inclusivity, stakeholders’ engagement, and a comprehensive long- term education plan that sets clear goals and resources in order to reform the sector. On the whole, it’s important to note that educational reform is a long- term process that requires consistent commitment and monitoring of progress. The government should involve education experts, stakeholders, and the public in shaping and implementing these reforms to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability.
As a country, are we making enough investment in education in this country?
No. We aren’t making enough investment into education in this country. Education is a mess. I don’t know what we are leaving for the next generation. The universities are not funded. Things have been watered down and so bad. For example, I will speak from the university angle; I feel so sorry for the students. It never used to be like this. The students are at the receiving end of the deplorable situation. For example, if government does not pay staff, it is still the students who will suffer. There is no equipment, no funding. Sometimes, when you want to have some practical classes in the department, there is no allocation. I have had to personally buy some materials to use for teaching in my practical class in my federal government university, and I know some other lecturers have done that too despite the fact that we are not being paid well. In my department, we contributed money for indigent brilliant students from the peanuts we are receiving as salary. Notwithstanding that I am a professor; I’m earning peanuts compared to my contemporaries in other countries in the world. In fact, sometimes, when I look at the lecturers from federal universities, I wonder what breed they are. They sacrifice too much.
So, if our government can be better, we can get better. Any country with a terrible, weak educational system is playing with its future. These students are the future of the country. We want to jeopardise our future because we’re not investing in them.
Education is not receiving enough allocation. Once we lose it, we lose it all. We really have to wake up if we’re going to have a future for the country. So, the educational sector is still not properly funded.
You just rounded off as a leader of an institution. How was the experience of leading the Faculty of Applied Sciences in a university?
It was a rewarding experience being the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Koladaisi University, Ibadan. It was an impactful, fruitful, and amazing experience.
What has been your experience as a woman in a leadership role, and what are the remarkable achievements you made as a Dean?
As the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, I bonded with my staff, and they were cooperative. Many structures were put in place in the faculty. Teaching and research were at the front burner. Innovative and out of classroom teaching methods were adopted.
Research was up- scaled with staff members winning grants, attending international conferences, and getting promoted.
We had faculty lectures, and we also had the first faculty conference. This was also the first faculty conference in the university. It was a four- day conference with very eminent scientists as speakers. The conference also featured a workshop for laboratory technologists. There was a large number of physical participants who attended the conference and over a hundred abstracts were received. The first faculty journal was also published.
Also, I ensured that the faculty student association was rejuvenated. Our students represented the university at international and local competitions. We made sure that the students were balanced academically and socially, and for the first time, we had the Faculty of Applied Sciences students’ week. They had a lot of academic and social programmes. This is now a yearly programme.
As part of our community service from the faculty, we started a science exhibition and quiz competition for secondary schools. We had secondary school students exhibiting their scientific innovations and creativity. These students also had a lot to learn from the scientific exhibitions from our faculty. The quiz competition was keenly contested. Winning schools emerged at the end of the competition. We were able to reach well over fifty schools in and around Ibadan in the first year we had the program. This programme was so successful in the first year and was replicated in