As I unveil my mind-piece, grab a seat and sit tight; grab something crunchy to munch as you read along because it’s really gonna be a lengthy one but I bet it won’t bore you as most textbooks do. Besides, the last I checked, leaders, they day, are readers (not in the Nigerian political sphere though where anything goes. LOL). What you about to read is entirely my opinion so criticize me constructively as I give you things to ponder on.

Did you know that due to the rate of unemployment, NYSC is aggressively encouraging graduates to go into entrepreneurship by instituting compulsory skill acquisition programs for corps member while in the 3 weeks camp and also granting loan of about #500,000 to interested outgoing each corps member and withholding their discharge certificate as collateral while the loan lasts?
Did you know that apart from health practitioners, the jobs available to graduates in Nigeria are security, marketing, sales, call center and school teacher jobs?
Did you know that most of what we learn in school makes us better employees while acquired skills and developed talents on the other hand will almost always make us employers or entrepreneurs as the case may be?
Did you know that many school leavers are ready to spend 40 years of their lives working for others (i.e. living out other peoples’ dreams - slavery) than spending 3 years of their lives to growth their own businesses?
Did you know that due to the multitudes of job seekers, most erratic employers ask for outrageous job requirements such as 5 – 10 years of working experience, crazy aptitude test questions, etc?
Did you know that as an employee, you may end up actualizing your employers dream and play down on yours (that is, if at all you have any) because they call the shot?
Did you know that most employees are at the mercy of their employers who make them feel they are doing them a favor for paying them salaries at the end of the month?
Did you know that as an employee, your input may never count as you are to abide by the dictates of your employer and may have no room for improvement?
Did you know that the job market is so saturated that getting a job now is basically by “who you know and not what you know?” Ask your Igbo brothers what they call IM (Ima Mmadu).

Most of us go to school with the sole aim of getting a befitting job thereafter. As such, we kill our creative powers by casting doubts on our innate abilities but will only depend on the theories that are taught in school and these theories that are based on other peoples’ opinions. This act unconsciously makes us employees thereby depending on employer for survival and never independent of ourselves. And most of these job offers leave us empty, used and abused; they often leave us at the brink of cross road, they make our world come crushing on us when we leave them. This leaves them frustrated, not knowing where to start from.
Schooling (not education) most times helps us depend on salaries and not what we can do for ourselves. One could ask: “What is the difference between schooling and education?” My answer, a school is an organized setting where the same thing is taught times and again within a set curriculum and assessment is based on examination (which I object to as one could execute “la cram la pour” to display academic dexterity). Education is not only acquired by attending organized classes in school classrooms. On the other hand, it is learning by repeated observations, experiments and experiences. Ever wondered why academic performance is on the decline? This is not happening because people are lazy rather the teeming populace of unemployed graduates kills the morale to study whereas the woman by the roadside who skillfully fries her akara (beans cake) never begs for bread as she can afford to buy some from her proceeds.
You could call her an illiterate because she has not been confined within the four walls of school. But listen, she is much more educated than a mere school leaver because she knows a lot about a little ( i.e. the different styles of frying akara) while the latter knows a little about a lot and may be confused in the end. Hence one could be an “educated illiterate” that is someone who is only “schooled”. By this, I mean someone who only passed through school and never had school go through him or her. The last I checked, an illiterate is not someone who cannot read or write but “someone who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

Do you know why I hate school?
It beats my imagination that the most beautiful girl in a pageantry will zoom home in an exotic ride as star prize while the best graduating student is either not noticed, is given a tea mug (as we saw in University of Osun where a best graduating student who bagged
a first class was given a MUG by the state
Governor Aregbesola of Osun state in company
of the VC) or given a paltry #50,000 (The Annual Reward Nigeria Award, hosted by
Culbeat New concepts Limited at Four Point
Sheraton Hotel, Lagos).
A celebrity will sign a #10 million naira contract that most employees may never make all through their service years.

The truth of the matter is that our academic curriculum is not sufficient to solve the current societal problems and as such, mere schooling is not just enough as what we need now is appropriate and quality education that is impactful enough to cause unavoidable ripple effects for the common good of us all. Don’t just go to school to feel among school leavers rather go to school to be educated, nurtured and assured. We all may neither land a paid employment nor become entrepreneurs but I will encourage us to swallow our ego and acquire at least a skill or develop our natural talents then apply our “book knowledge” to make them better. Truth be told, times are hard.
Being educated is not to make us slaves to erratic employers rather it is meant to give us a competitive advantage based on our exposure and levels of socialization. Besides having a degree, I see acquiring a skill/developing a talent as an alternative backup strategy. Be that as it may, let us not solely rely on getting a job rather let’s think of creating one by ourselves for the benefits of ourselves and others too. It becomes our plan B when nothing else seems to work; it gives us a sense of belonging. Moreover, always do entrepreneurs make news while we hear little or nothing about their employees because they are seldom recognized; they are hired to be fired.
In conclusion, let us make hay while the sun shines. Be a solution provider and lead the pack. However, we must not all be entrepreneurs but education is meant to help expand our coasts, and widen our horizon to see hidden potentials that needs to be explored and effects to be created. Therefore, whatsoever your hands find to do, do it well; be good at it. Do not let that passion to write a poem or a song die; do not let that acquired skill fade away as it could earn you a fortune. Skill/talent may never be enough but only going to school is never a better substitute too. Carry them both along with you as you can’t tell which of them will pay off. At ILC, we dare you to be productive and to be MAD (Making A Difference) since you can’t get different results by doing the same thing.
Carve a niche for yourself and create a landmark in the sand of time. Be diligent in your work, for this is the only way to stand before kings and not mean men. Your diligence will make your rule your world as God will bless the works of your hands. Best the best you can ever be academically as education is a privilege and not a right. If you doubt me, ask from those that have written jamb a countless number of times. Acquire a skill and be good at it as well. I look forward to a time when we will have a few job seekers leaving employers with no other choice than to value the ones they can find.

I foresee a Nigeria where the youths are gainfully employed and lead a descent and modest lifestyle, such in which the rate of unemployment will be reduced to the barest minimum. I wish us well in our distinct endeavors in life, be it as employees or as skillful entrepreneurs. Do the needful by getting busy to get a life worth living. Take note: The President has humbly advised us all to go and farm as there are no jobs to accommodate us all. For many are called for interviews but just a few are given the limited jobs. Be informed!!! By the way, I stand with #TALENT/SKILL.

Long live Impact-oriented Nigerians!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
Long live Impact Leadership Club!!!
Happy Independence Day Celebration.

Alfy U,
AUA Diary

*yawns
Op you are boring.

Op did you know that the aim of education is to make one self reliant? That is why Research, Entrepreneurship and other courses are packaged to ensure that.

Skill acqusition is part and parcel of schooling so stop trying to separate the two.

Kirinwa:
*yawns
Op you are boring.

Op did you know that the aim of education is to make one self reliant? That is why Research, Entrepreneurship and other courses are packaged to ensure that.

Skill acqusition is part and parcel of schooling so stop trying to separate the two.

The question now is: How many schools do entrepreneurs and not mere lip service?

alfredfrddy:

The question now is: How many schools do entrepreneurs and not mere lip service?

It has been inculcated in the Secondary school curriculum as a compulsory subject, tertiary institutions offer it as a course headed by Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, skill acquisition centres abound all over the country supported by NDDC, MDGs etc Its impossible to pass through a tertiary institution now without seeing a seminar organised on skill acquisition either free or at subsidized rate. Its compulsory in NYSC programme to choose a skill which you will be taught.

Dude the struggle is real. I would expect you to do more research before posting issues such as this.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/166030-nigeria-revises-basic-education-curriculum.html

Op If you were trying to criticize the school system as not being practical oriented that I can understand because most of these government universities don't have adequate equipments to cater for their student population. You see a school admitting 190 students in 100level, so how do you expect quality education?
When lecturers don't know their students by name.

But saying that skill acquisition is not there is not tenable.

Kirinwa:
*yawns
Op you are boring.

Op did you know that the aim of education is to make one self reliant? That is why Research, Entrepreneurship and other courses are packaged to ensure that.

Skill acqusition is part and parcel of schooling so stop trying to separate the two.

Not in this clime. Going to school makes us slaves to white or blue collar jobs as the case may be. It makes many scared to try something different while we relegate skill acquisition to the "unschooled", I barely see self reliance in graduates of today