Just last week, on a gloomy afternoon, baby girl and I were both home observing a wider space between us than we usually do. Suddenly, the mail dropped and I rushed to the door to pick it. My first observation was a letter enveloped with a top university name printed on it addressed to baby girl. Girlfriend was busy scowling when I handed the letter to her. She swiftly opened the envelope and read the content then all of a sudden jumped at me screaming; she got an admission to study Mathematics in the University in her language. My countenance changed and I raptured along with her and our disagreement quickly turned into a past tale. We were really hoping she got the admission into the University this autumn already. Of course both of us were surprised with such an unexpected admission that she did not write an entrance examination for. The letter stated that her high school final exam was good enough to guarantee her a place in the course exempting her from additional entrance exam at the university. The university in question is a top 100 university in the world and top top university in Europe.

Whilst still shrouded in the elation of a top admission, the thought of an entrance exam she had written earlier for an admission to a university of applied sciences sprang up and I decided to look up the web if the results were out. Luckily she was admitted to her first choice university of applied sciences as well ranked in its ’000th to study Business and IT in English. At this point we were torn between the two admission options. Both offering both unique advantages to the girl. The prestige of the best school in her country, globally renowned research, a good course and excellent career opportunities. etc. And for the other institution, the lure of studying in English, opportunities of having a double degree from a partner institution abroad, the excellent combination of business and IT and also the graduate to job philosophies of institution of applied sciences. Just after an hour later, we concluded she opts for the University of Applied Sciences. The reason just as stated in the last paragraph.

Moments after reaching a decision, I chuckled in an unsatisfied manner as I mirrored her case with a country like Nigeria. Where the meaning of polytechnic education (also university of applied sciences in developed countries) has been denigrated to mean the lowly educated, the semi-literate, the second class citizens, non-degree holders often with a ceiling in career height etc.

The problem
If what I know about polytechnic education is true then I believe there is the need to retain this particular area of education in our country Nigeria. The polytechnics are created to instill technical skills into their students which are of immense benefit in the industrialization of any country. This elitist society called Nigeria has been playing down the importance of technical education for a long time now. I remember once hearing a statement by a then Minister of education describing polytechnic education as ‘technical education pure and simple’. The statement itself does describes the work of polytechnics but the language of including ‘pure and simple’ has had a literal effect on the status of these institutions from my standpoint.
In the more recent times, the politicization of every fabric of our society has seen the power mongers amongst us send their young bloods abroad, to private institutions in Nigeria, bribe their ways through JAMB and the university system itself. All of these factors have given lesser meaning to the qualifications called National Diploma and Higher National Diploma.

What should have been:
If Nigeria were a serious country, it should have looked abroad to see how the polytechnic education has changed in many developed countries like Germany, U.K, Finland, Netherlands etc. The United Kingdom for instance has changed all of its polytechnic education into Universities in 1992. In central Europe, names like Universities of applied sciences, institute of technologies are more used these days in a deliberate branding of these institutions not tampering the quality and standard and the worth which is bestowed upon the recipient of these degrees.

The results
Tunde and Sola were two of my classmates when I studied at Yaba Tech some 4years ago. Tunde is a very brilliant dude who had joint top GPA of 3.46/4 in our group. Sola on the other hand is an average student who could not maintain an upper credit after his first semester. Two semesters had passed when Sola got admission to study the same course at Unilag deploying the usual means of scoring high in JAMB. Today both of them are graduates from Yaba tech and Unilag respectively in the same course of study. Usually, Sola would be looked at in the society as the better student just because he went to an elite university while Tunde the brilliant guy went to a polytechnic. Earlier this year, they both asked me to help out with master’s studies abroad. After filing the application for Tunde, it was immediately rejected because he had an HND while Sola would be gladly accepted just he possessed a degree from a University.

Unilag is not a Miracle center
I refer to Denee’s comment that Unilag is not a miracle center. Of course, I respect the degree of Unilag graduates and good luck to them all but I would like to use this medium to call a spade a spade. Let’s face it, most of what is been taught at our Universities have been there for some time now. It’s not unusual to see a lecturer in our Universities giving notes of over twenty years ago to students in 2012. The theories of the past are still been passed on to the students of today. The real essence of a university is in its research capabilities. Unilag would not be an overly rated institution, if its graduates can tell us the research that has come out of it and used in other part of Nigeria and the world.

From my understanding, the ability to carry out research is what separates a University and a polytechnic. And if there is no meaningful research going on at Unilag what separates it from a polytechnic in Nigeria?


To be continued

Why not all our polytechnics turned to universities of technology, then the inferiority and superiority complex that exists between graduates of polytechnics and universities will be over.
T'will be this way, after four years, instead of HND certificate, B-tech is awarded while the B.sc and B.ed will still be in existence.
I think thats the simple solution.

Seriously, a nation that is just developing need technologists, but it is sad that our leaders and a host of others doesnt know this(others= stakeholders/employers of labour/entrepreneurs) and only believe that grads from polytechnics are just meant for the menial assignments,basically,they are regarded as 'cheap labour'.
I pity Nigeria.

State Universities and Federal Universities
Before I left Nigeria, I had two and the half admissions. One at OAU, one abroad and was processing an admission at Unilag. I got my admission into OAU through direct entry after working my a** off whilst studying at Yaba Tech. I wanted to continue to Unilag but only distinction was needed at that level so I applied to OAU and was on a list I did not continue to monitor with since I got an admission abroad. My first impression of OAU was that of a serene but of somewhat old setting. I was stunned by the absence of a computer in as many administrative offices I visited while processing my admission. Truth be told, nothing there showed to me signs of a university driven by research or something similar. Don’t get me wrong, I am not disputing the intellectual capability of both students and teachers but rather the education itself they push out to their immediate community, society and the world.

Unilag on the other hand is also a Federal University that has earned forum wide acclaim as an institution with bright minds and what not. Well, the likes of Tanimola22, 2good and others who are graduates of the institution will and should be proud of their achievement thus far. Truth be told that their academic excellence has not been defined by Unilag itself. I remember whilst still at Yabatech, many architecture students from Unilag bring their portfolios to Yabatech for draft guys to help them with their studio works. This is not a lie and if I am sure, it still goes on today. Or a short story of how graduates after grad school do not even possess the necessary knowledge to embark on the job offered to them, like the University of Lagos Mass communication final year students that visited the office for their final year project and didn’t know the components of a Newspaper?

This reminds me of an article I posted some days ago about a Yabatech grad becoming the highest GPA earner at Unilag. He could have easily gone the other way as an HND holder if he did not get admission into Unilag. How is it possible that such a brilliant guy did not get admission there? Of course, my uncle Ajanlekoko was on hand to remind me that shebi he finally got into Unilag. Another comment he made that saddens my heart was that students that go to state universities are wounded students. He forgot that, space, competition and lack of level playing ground has its toll on the destiny of many students in Nigeria.

With all these said, I would not want to delve into the state universities anymore because it is glaring that our universities are all by themselves on an equal level just that some of them are reveling in past glories.

[b]My advice
[/b]As I have seen many people cry out on Nairaland on how they went to state universities, polytechnics and others usually termed as a lowly ranked institution of learning in Nigeria. Take solace today. My advice is that you work hard wherever you find yourself and get the best GPA you can to have options for the future. If you are in a poly, convert to a University through a direct entry and make sure you get a B.Sc from whatever institution in Nigeria and move on from there. If you are already in a university, get good grades and apply for scholarships abroad or to some universities in Europe where tuition is cheap or close to free. That way you learn more. A B.Sc degree is a generalized degree that’s why you should not worry too much where you get it from. Pursue your master’s degree immediately or if you lucky after getting work experience from a relevant field. Most importantly be proud of your accomplishments and not your affiliation. Strive for self improvement, get other qualifications and the sky will be your starting point. All institutions in Nigeria are the same.

Reference on the unilag mass communication students here: http://www.cp-africa.com/2012/05/31/opinion-here-is-proof-that-nigerias-education-system-has-failed

Nice posts, yemmy_ma.

It's unfortunate that our lack of development in Nigeria have many people boxed into a corner, literally speaking.
However, I must let you know that we are the architects of our own misfortune. Everybody is involved; the lecturers, the authorities, and even the students and their parents. Everybody expects the system to work for them, without putting in the necessary efforts required.

My comments about federal vs state universities were not borne out of spite; I have spent time at both a federal and a state university over the course of my studies, and I consider myself a good assessor of both environments. I also have the benefit of being a 100% product of the Nigerian system, so I don't have the luxury to make expansive comparisons. I know the Nigerian system in and out.

Good response from you as well AJ. We have a long way to go to bring back those glorious days in our education system.

Am just glad that everybody is waking up to the reality that nigeria education system nowadays is a sham compared to the 70s, 80s and even 90s.

I am happy that some of us are gradually waking up from our delusional sleep. A citadel of higher learning or ivory tower should be so not just in name only. We are all part of the problem. We have some professors who are so chauvinistic and don't groom any protégés thus ending up with appalling titles like "the only professor of this and that in West Africa" etc. What is even more annoying is the fact that a lot of us regard and hold such titles in high esteem.

Parents that also assist their ward during exams are also to blame. So of us ask why most firms now prefer to recruit directly from abroad or have a preference for foreign degrees. I guess the answer to this is not far fetched.

Our Universities also need to drop this "freebie" mentality and stop depending on handouts from the government. Most schools in the West don't depend states to fund them. Some work in collaboration with coys to invent new ideas, products and services. For example, the idea for " Google Analytics" was developed in the labs of a university here in the US and Google paid a mind crippling sum for the idea, in addition to yearly royalty for its patent rights!

I know of a family friend who finished with a first from a Fed University in Nigeria and decided to pursue a career in academia. The poor chap spent almost 7 years chasing an elusive Phd qualification under the supervision of a prof. He later got funding from the world bank and proceeded to canada. His topic which was deemed "un researchable" by his surpervisor now has a $500,00 grant from the world bank. I can go on and on and on with my rantings because "talk is cheap" and we Nigerians are good at this. What we need now is a collective awakening and decisive action NOW. God bless Nigeria.