Millions of graduates from Nigerian universities, Polytechnics and other institutions of higher learning in the labour market are not qualified enough to be employed, President Umaru Yar'adua has said.

Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200812120537.html

What's ur take?

Let him bury his head in shame.

First he is the president, only him have the power to make a change. Second, he was a Nigerian lecturer, in Nigerian University. If he know deep down within him that Nigerian Universities are producing half baked graduates, then he must realise that he was part of the problems.

If as a lecturer, he can't do anything but blame the innocent graduates that are being fed garbage as knowledge, he must bury his head in shame and resign for a better man to do the job.

My take is that he is creating alibi to ignore education sector. He is already mapping out his strategy for failure.

olanajim:

Let him bury his head in shame.

First he is the president, only him have the power to make a change. Second, he was a Nigerian lecturer, in Nigerian University. If he know deep down within him that Nigerian Universities are producing half baked graduates, then he must realise that he was part of the problems.

If as a lecturer, he can't do anything but blame the innocent graduates that are being fed garbage as knowledge, he must bury his head in shame and resign for a better man to do the job.

My take is that he is creating alibi to ignore education sector. He is already mapping out his strategy for failure.

But it's a fact. He said the truth. If you were an employer, you'll know how bad it is.
Lots of graduates are a mess knowledge wise. It's just a fact. No disrespect intended.

But I don't think YarAdua has the moral justification to mention it, especially considering the points you mentioned.

There is it! He has no right to mention it at all. I can't blame the graduate much as I would blame fake drugs. Graduates were made and circulated by the system, so we don't have to blame the product when manufacturers continue to roll them out and the regulators turn the other side.

Somebody granted them admision, by fair of foul. Another aided them to have a high grade even when he know that they don't merit it. Yet, there is the third element, the employers.

Employers contributed indirectly to the problem by insisting on high grade instead of competency. Imagine how many Nigerian graduates with unique ability that have been confined to mediocrity simply because the don't have first class certificates!

And the man with the power to make a change is passing the blame to the product he helped manufactured. I think he is still sick!

Valid points i would say! The man is trying to be like the ostrich. lol

This is a very serious problem o.

We need to act before things completely fall apart. I have actually seen some graduates and I wondered how they ever passed JAMB. People who would never have smelt university in my days go around waving degrees these days.

I am really afraid for Nigeria oooooooooooooooooo

I remember while still in school, we would be given tough assignments to solve. Most of us simply ignored it. The rare few among us that bothered to sleep in the lib will finally come up with a solution. On the second day, lazy students would start copying what we have done and submit it!

That is 30 marks! I was so naive at the time that I hardly submit my assignments. I thought what matter is that I know it.

Well it turned out that that assignment is in itself very crucial to our final scores! Sadly on the exam day the lecture would simply use the assignments as Exam questions!

For anyone with sense, how on earth do we expect a dullard (who simply need to memorise answers) to have first class if we run that kind of system? Yet, employers insists that is what they want!

What does he plan to do about it then??

Good question! That is what he should be talking about instead of covering his own failure. I remember that obj started the campaign abroad. Other prominent Nigerians have followed suit. It is a shame they are passing the blame instead of fixing the problems.

The problem is complex but can be solved. For instance, why on earth would FG laid the foundation for Polytechics discrimination and still expect people to enrol there? Govt need to solve the HND discrimination with sincerity.

Also where are the Technical schools that ought to absorb the youths? Some of them are now secondary schools!

Then this problem of engaging NCE, B.ed holders as the only qualified teachers in our schools is a problen of it own. We all know that in the last 10 years most of candidates enroling for NCE, B.ed are those who could not meet the JAMB scores and have no passion for education!

I have seen teachers running to their friends to help them solve questions they intend to give their students! I know, because I have been engaged by some of these teachers too. I once visited my uncle who works at a private school. I observe two women are with him that day. He was teaching them primary 5 maths! I initially thought they are adult education students. But when they left, I asked my uncle about them and he told me they are teachers! Concidentally, I took a friend of mine there to see if my uncle can help submit his cv. He had Bsc, and MSc. My uncle told me even with phd, they won't employ him unless he had NCE, or B.ed or PgdE! Yet, the same system comfortable with B.ed teachers that can't solve primary 5 maths!

olanajim:

Good question! That is what he should be talking about instead of covering his own failure. I remember that obj started the campaign abroad. Other prominent Nigerians have followed suit. It is a shame they are passing the blame instead of fixing the problems.

The problem is complex but can be solved. For instance, why on earth would FG laid the foundation for Polytechics discrimination and still expect people to enrol there? Govt need to solve the HND discrimination with sincerity.

Also where are the Technical schools that ought to absorb the youths? Some of them are now secondary schools!

Then this problem of engaging NCE, B.ed holders as the only qualified teachers in our schools is a problen of it own. We all know that in the last 10 years most of candidates enroling for NCE, B.ed are those who could not meet the JAMB scores and have no passion for education!

I have seen teachers running to their friends to help them solve questions they intend to give their students! I know, because I have been engaged by some of these teachers too. I once visited my uncle who works at a private school. I observe two women are with him that day. He was teaching them primary 5 maths! I initially thought they are adult education students. But when they left, I asked my uncle about them and he told me they are teachers! Concidentally, I took a friend of mine there to see if my uncle can help submit his cv. He had Bsc, and MSc. My uncle told me even with phd, they won't employ him unless he had NCE, or B.ed or PgdE! Yet, the same system comfortable with B.ed teachers that can't solve primary 5 maths!

Astounded!!

Thank God he and Goodluck got employed due to obasanjo's wanton rigging at the poll.

Africason,

why must you be astounded? Please don't! I started teaching while in secondary school. I am not a professional techher though. I did it for fun. But I wen on to teach officially after my graduation. I left when the whole thing about NCE started. have engineering degree and therefore not qualified because i dont have NCE! I opted t do my postgraduate in Engineering rather than speding useless time sitting for useless NCe programme. Meanwhile those who have the certificates are busy soliciting help on how to meet the growing challenges in their course! I mean a teacher that can't solve the problem he/she is giving to his/her own students! That is something.

Further more, in the course of my mentoring youths, I have seen alot of them accepting NCe and BEd not because they are qyalufied or have slighted interest in it but because they are not able to meet Jamb scores. They dont want to waste their life sitting at home so they chooce what was available. During their schools, they would be shuttling between one JAMB centre or the other without making any success of it to university. Eventually, time will cach up and they would gaduate, surprisingly with high grades!

Once out of school, their first destination ios banks! they want to want in banck oil frms etc. You can magined the numever f them that actually found their way to banks, But those unlucky would have to resign to teaching anyway, and once n the job, their qualifiaction willl be put into question.

While i admit that teachers cannot know everything, the truth is that he must be able o meet up to he curret challenges. The govt is not helping mtter by insisting on cerificates.

first the education system should be decentralised. Enphasis should be place on performance rather than certificates. Some teachers, to my chagrin, (lectureres inclusive) d nothing in the class except dictate notes, talk and give you assignents! I dont expect that ind of method to yield anything positive.

By the way, why are our so-called professors not be making names by their works? i mean by the number of invetions, researches and international works they are able to accnplished? Nay, they are known more for the strikes, and the tag "prof". Nigerians are just title crazy!

i think Olanajim is right. How can a president of a country make such statement infact is totally unacceptable.Nigeria youths abroad are pacesetters were the facilities for studying were intact.i advice him to create jobs for the youths and stop using political jagons as cover up.let him mention a case were by a Nigeria Graduate in active service falls to perform when extra training is provided.Banks recruits from all discipline,train them ,and turn them to professionals.Me think he withdraw his statement and sanitise the system

you made another valid point there, The banks care to find time to nurture the youths, Thye recognise that the system is nit perfect and theefore spend alot of money to build their workforce.

Alot of time, the poeple who go employed in banks are mediocre at their best but eventually they become one of the best professionals.

i wonder why a whole president would cry out so loud and condemn the system he is responsible to.

What Nigerian youths need is propr orientation and not condemnation.

i  firmly agree with YAr'ADUA, most nigerian graduates are unemployable, i equaly i agree that YAR'ADUA is not quallified to be the president of Nigeria since he was not properly elected as the president  SO ALL NA THE SAME

Can u guys see some atom of confusion and madness on this guy's comment?
Is he telling this to the world that is i or my papa should fix Nigerian education in order?
He was a governor for how many years he knew all that and didnt do anything about that in his own state. Since he become the president of Nigeria wht step has he taking to restore Nigeria education? Well a very gud reason for him to justify the High unemployment rate in Nigeria.

Olanajim, if that is the case then i'm afraid naija has gone to the dogs.

what has the MUMU president done to make these institutions better.

Action-less president of all time.

nice points olanajim

the educational system is really wack they are pple u meet supposed in their third/final year of school who cant hold a full conversation without grammatical errors!

this is the craziest thing i've ever heard in recent times. i think he should start by calling out members of his cabinet. this guy just doesn't get it.

the question is what is his minister of education is doing about it.  why hasn't he called for the budget allocation for education to be increased.  Nigerian politicians are nothing but showmen. next thing you know, he would start shedding crocodile tears like the transportation minister

biolabee:

nice points olanajim

the educational system is really wack they are people u meet supposed in their third/final year of school who can't hold a full conversation without grammatical errors!

U can find them even here in UK. Many of them. Many UK graduates cant write very well - though they can speak. So please stop judging Nigerian graduates based purely on English. English is nothing but Language of instruction, and if u can understand what he said, then it is fine.

tharma u may be right that uk grads cant write good english but really thats none of my concern
i am interested in how much in expended on training and developing these grads when they leave school which is y the same circle of anything-goes-to-make-it-in-life is continually perpetuated.

Am forced to contribute,if actuallly he said it then to an extent he should be held responsible for the rot and low standard recorded in our educational system,
LET HIM KNOW THE TRUTH
NIGERIAN YOUTHS ARE LEAVING THE COUNTRY FOR BETTER EDUCATION
those that are not employable in no distant time will be urged to come back to contribute their quota to that same Nigeria that did nothing to equip them
I WEEP FOR NIGERIA

Although the statement might be true, i still think it is bullshit.
That is why there is a training period in any place of employment. If Nigerian graduates were needed in America, then we can start making noise about their unemployability.
The companies hiring them are in Nigeria and make money in Nigeria. If the graduates in Nigeria are not employable, train them. What the hell.
If the companies think the unemployability of Nigerian graduates is becoming too much for them, they should donate funds to Universities to improve them.