Education is the difference between humans and animals. A person who has no access to education is deprived of access to life. It is in a bid to ensure that their children have access to life that Nigerian parents send their children overseas, including Ghana, to secure the so-much required tertiary education.
It is of utmost concern that in this century and after 53 years of attaining Independence, Nigeria is still struggling to adequately educate all her citizens. Or why should the higher percentage of students studying in foreign countries be Nigerians? What does this portray about our education system?
By reason of preference or circumstance, some Nigerian students would definitely study outside the shores of the nation, but it should not be a case of them rushing enmasse to study in neighbouring countries if all is well with our education system.
In terms of facilities, some United Kingdom universities are not better structured than the universities in Ghana, yet they produce world-class graduates. It is partly for lack of facilities that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had down tools in the nation in the last six months. So, what are we saying?
So having said this, the outright condemnation of private varsities in Ghana published in a national daily last year leaves much to be desired.
In as much as one is not encouraging low standard of tertiary education system, the efforts of providers of tertiary education in Ghana should be commended not ridiculed, at least for being there for Nigerian students, who form the majority of students in some of these Ghanaian universities. Constructive criticism is what is actually needed here, not maligning the providers.
What then are the problems with our own universities back home? There is no doubt about the fact that some Nigerian students might not be able to make JAMB or post-UTME in order to gain admission into the university, but given other options, just as they are given the opportunity in Ghana, they would definitely make their own marks and come out top in their academic pursuits.
Nigeria has myriads of problems to contend with in her varsities. For instance, the issue of lecturers or other staff members of universities going on strike is just too rampant in Nigeria; the issue of underfunding of varsities, dearth of varsities, that is considering the ratio of students seeking admission to the number of varsities on ground; deliberate annihilation of public varsities by government and lack of necessary infrastructure, among others.
Contrary to the misleading effect of that report, Nigerian students in Ghanaian universities have access to good infrastructure, conducive environment and sound tutors, while some of these universities produce world-class graduates; more so their certificates are internationally recognised.
It is, therefore, important to note that it is not the size of the school that matters but the quality of graduates produced from such institutions.
Fola Akinosun, Ph.D
CEO, Foreign Links Campus,
Moro, Osun State.
