I guess the nigerian university is a brutal system but sincerely the quality of grads are a function of their background even BEFORE they get into university.

The first case I'ld present is the one of people with weak backgrounds coming to study particular courses. With a poor understanding of elementary physics, people cannot expect to cope with the advanced physics youi get to do in school. As the years go by, it becomes progressively more difficult to cope with and they somehow just struggle through school, and are technically incompetent.

A 2nd scenario is the case of the whizzkid who can't string a correct sentence. I finished from Ife and I came across a number of cases like this while still in school. There are folks who are very sharp. They have solved all the calculus and understood all the fluid mechanics but they probably had bad English teachers. This usually affects a number of them who pass all the stages of aptitude tests but are not able to express themselves effectively at final interviews.

For those that strike a balance, there is still the effect of a half-hearted attempt at teaching by a lot of lecturers, but I still maintain that the graduates who really give a bad impression 9whether technically or in terms of expression) are those who had poor backgrounds.

On a final note, ife particularly scarred a lot of people for life cos in most departments, getting good grades were made so difficult even despite genuine efforts. There were lots of people with unconventional approaches which were not appreciated by lecturers, and also a number of others who were affected in their early years but could not recover from clutches of a cumulative GPA system. The result.......lots of geniuses with 2.2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your experience really laid bare the situation of poor education people are getting here. For this and many more reasons i have vowed never to earn a Nigerian degree in my life (though some people think am stupid ).

Am still waiting for the day a Nigerian university graduate in Computer science/engineering will challenge me on a project.

@ Flint A 2nd scenario is the case of the whizzkid who can't string a correct sentence. I finished from Ife and I came across a number of cases like this while still in school. There are folks who are very sharp. They have solved all the calculus and understood all the fluid mechanics but they probably had bad English teachers. This usually affects a number of them who pass all the stages of aptitude tests but are not able to express themselves effectively at final interviews.

Those that suffer from this syndromes ought to have been put in special schools for proper upbringing. I always gasped when children with autism and asperger's symdrome are seen and termed as imbeciles in Nigerian schools. Too much premiums have been placed on paper certificates and university education.

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codec, thank you for calling a spade a spade. The university curriculum in Nigeria is so diluted to suit the shallow intellectuals call LECTURERS. The present govt is still calling for the 60% science bias admission ratio when most universities lack the basic equipment for a good learning environment. students listen to lectures standing. Recently one of the universities donated the rank of professor to 114 lecturers. I imagine a system where good research cannot take place and poor Nigerians are losing nothing less than 150000 naira being paid to each one of them. BABALE.

I'm also studying for my graduate course in th U.K right now and I'm competing favourably with the students here, especially when all things are at your disposal.

You are the only limitation to your own progress,that's why even when you enter the higher institution at home(Naija),study.Everything is on the net......believe me!!!

My brothers, Nigerian Universities are something else.
We lack scientific mind, all we do are based on the theoretical aspect; which is very unsuited for this civilized world. A situation where University like MOUAU which offers Computer Science, Mechanical engineering cannot boost of any facility, yet, when you graduate,you'll see people making 1st class. Tell me how they will defend it!!!

Tell me how they will defend it!!!

Who tell you they can't defend it. Atleast they will be able to show their skills on a sheet of paper .

Anyway, is true ooooooooooooo

What are you guys talking about? Nigerian doctors trained in Nigeria are at various health institutions in the UK as well as other parts of teh world. Our engineers occupy various juicy posts in various companies..... If you want to go to a school in Nigeria, why go to the quack ones? In the same way, there are certain universities I will never go to in the UK.

Anyway, I think those people who make it there weren't there as a result of what their schools gave them but, for the extra zeal they put in seeing they are there.

Even if you a whity! there is no way you can attain success without personal efforts - whether their schools are the best or not.

Obviously most nigerian graduates are good to a standered.
Those that seems not to meet up expectations in the office after securing a job are the ones that go to school and been carried away by some social life,eg going for parties, night clubs,and want to be gregarious with all the vivacious girls on campus.
All these will definitely lead to poor study and the result is ineffectiveness in the office. Thank you.

Hi yall,
Was just on another thread and was discussing the issue of the level of education between the three tiers-fed, state and poly. PPle view fed uni's higher than state unis calling the others half baked. But i totally disagree. Nigerian graduates are all half baked as far as i am concerned. Ive done a post grad programme with other nigerian students who all attended Fed uni's except me. But none of us had an indept knowledge of the modules. It was not as if we weren't familiar with the courses but because back home we had not been taught properly.

Interesting thread....

Let me just add that as a doctor trained in the UK, I've met some Nigerian trained doctors and soon after they come over they are simply shocking!! They really are not well served by the system back home. Of course, when they come over they eventually adapt and some do very well but the state of their knowledge when they come over is close to non-existent!!!

Soulful:

Interesting thread....

Let me just add that as a doctor trained in the UK, I've met some Nigerian trained doctors and soon after they come over they are simply shocking!! They really are not well served by the system back home. Of course, when they come over they eventually adapt and some do very well but the state of their knowledge when they come over is close to non-existent!!!

I tend to agree to an extent but please the situation is not as bad as that

A UK trained doctor who comes to Nigeria will also take some time to settle down

True but I'm talking about a basic level of knowledge that one would expect from any doctor and if found in a doctor in the UK would be unacceptable.

Having said that, there are some doctors trained in the UK who come out with some statements and conclusions that would lead you to question whether they were indeed doctors at all but the proportion that induce such feeling among UK graduates in less than among Nigerian doctors I've come across.

Can't help but wonder the institution you graduated from in Nigeria............Can't speak for all Nigerian Universities but can speak for mine.........
The question really should be what kind of student were you and your friends?
So whats great about the UK? Majority of there secondary school leavers are not even competent in English langauge......so what's all the fuss about GRAMMAR OR PSYCHOLOGIST? The difference bet Nigerians and Asians is how the Asians stick with their own and hold proudly to their root in a foreign land.......As you're in the UK i'm sure you'd have observed this........hence their success not only in the UK but on any soil they step foot on....................................Why not become proficient in the 3 Major Nigerian languages first and leave the intricacies for the Englishman.....................that is why they are English and you Nigerian...............
Get a grip pls......

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Nigerian graduates who went through school without blocking/cheating are worth their salt in any currency. I work in one university and I study in another and I also had my B.Sc from Nigeria so I think I am qualified to have a valid opinion on this.Oh and did I mention my brother just graduated in Nigeria?
Sure, they might be that bit behind (heck, who wouldn’t after learning programming without ever being on a computer!) but, they catch up so quickly, they leave their foreign counterparts in their dust.
As for their grammar, well their English might be atrocious but so what? That’s hardly an indication of how well they know their stuff now is it? Except of because, “their  stuff” is English grammar.
Now, that’s about the product-the graduates...As far as I am concerned, it’s a wonder that they come out so good….with lecturers who know nothing about their fields today and have a phobia for students who seem to be learning “outside the scope”, out-of-date study materials, lack of collaborative learning opportunities…its not a wonder but a miracle! Learning occurs best when the learner realises the onus is on him/her but all the above have to be there to facilitate the process and that isn’t the case in Nigeria.
On the question of docs, I have had the misfortune to have met some european docs I would not allow cut my toenail! Medicine is one of the few areas that Nigerian graduates have the least"conversion-time" (IMHO) I 've found the docs here are useless without all their gadgets, medicine has got be more than being able to read a scan, xray, or cut, remove and sew....

ETA:
The system is broken but by some miracle the product isn't so bad...so...if your question had been "Is the Nigerian educational system worth 2pennies" my answer would have been a resounding NO!

I agree with all those who argued in favour of a good backgroud, a priori. Very important.

The truth is the lecturers ( if we can still call them that these days) are demotivated, the facilities are non-existent , the curriculum is outdated, etc. Mosst of you who work, wheher you schooled in Nigeria or not, except maybe for doctors and people who work in R&, will find that there's a big gulf between what is taught in school and the real world. In addition, many students are naive and short sighted, thinking that all their lecturers notes, represent the body of knowledge in the courses.

The real value of a degree is the exposure, discipline, and a basic working skillset, that can very often be applied in many different areas other than one's major.

I feel the guy who went to Ife and feels scarred. The system is brutal. Almost cut my liver, even though I managed to escape with a 2:1.

Please don't mind my long-winded sentences. It's my background.

shooo

It's true Nigerian graduates esp those in the field that deals with more practicals can be said to be underbaked........but we have what it takes...i can assure u of that. All we need is get into the right system and a little induction and wow...we are on top. But for the theoretical aspects........we are real,well baked, almost overbacked graduates. I can almost say affirmatively that no Student from the developed world can end up learning what we strive to learn if he is in the same condition. The problem in Nigeria isn't only abt graduates...it starts from lack of common social ammenities and engulfs every other thing u can think of. So don't blame Nigerian graduates......we would have been the best if not for wot our country has turned out to be. ( VOICE OF EXPERIENCE)

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Well after my secondary school in nigeria in an eastern state high school, I got direct addmission into 4-yrs college here in the US..Even though I learnt English in the east without using it as a regular language. I did better in my SAT verbal than the quantitative part......However addmision was tough..they  told me to go to 2 years collage first etc..because they don't trust some nigerian academic papers..However I was able to convince them to give me a snap shot test..I did so well and my addmision was given to me..I also got addimission from 3 other school, college of aeronautics in larguadia NY
, rutgers and kean..

A high school buddy from nigeria who is in UNN studying law visited me this summer in NJ. He was crying lamenting about the situation of enugu campus..\

We lack the amenities which is why things are proven tough...One of the things i want to do for nigeria is to go into deal with universities to renovate campus housings in every univerisity and then charge students a little bit more. If a school refuse, I will buy land close to the school and control my own independent real estate for students..An icon of development...I will make sure there is computer in each house connected to the internet.

What are you guys saying. Bullshit. Nigerian gradutes... if really you are a graduate or not.. all your choice. Yes your choice. I'm a fresh graduate of that hell of a school called FUTO. Within FUTO you have all it takes to be it if you choose to be. it is all about attitude and discipline.  One thing we never look at is the foundation. First, our High schools are Horrible. They are breeding grounds for criminals. I mean it. Imagine a curriculum designed for learning and character moulding being basterdized. If the so called curriculum for character moulding has been so basterdized beyond salvation, where the hell is the individual supposed to acquire good moral with which to build on.. within the University where You are more or less on your own?? I once read an article my classmate wrote sometime in my 2nd year, and I wept. It was a mess. I would not have written that in my SS2. His High school education was Zero. a shame cos if he had a good foundation, the story for him and so many others would have been different. The guy who did not know wher the Liver is was not meant to learn that in the UNiversity, but in High school. A good high school foundation is the Key. That is the Conerstone. One other point we miss is the absence of quality Guidiance and Couselling in most schools and colleges. This is horrible. You see dudes in Computer Science department of FUTO not knowing why they are there. They want to be computer scientists....my foot. Bull shit. They want to be thought how to MS office in the University. Same it is in almost all Nigerian School. it is Horrible. With Focus and discipline...You will be a great graduate from a nigerian University.
JAMB pulls you into a field of Human endeavour you never thought of being. Before You realise it You have lost your chance. You find yourself struggling to keep up with the demands of the world you have found yourself!! and not the one you had prepared yourself (if ever ther was any though). That is the fate of most Nigerian Undergraduates. The fight, and continue fighting until they get to the red line. Horrible.
In the University.. FUTO for example.. Yes it is not rossy, the facilities are overstretched they say, but how many students actually use these facilities. I am a civil Engineer working with a foundation design firm in port harcourt. Today I look back at the laboratory Practical session I missed in soil mechanics and regret. A class of 180 students, only 12-15 attend such sessions regularly. then someone somewhere is blaming facilities. Bullshit. Let us use the ones we have and the complain that it isn't enough. Decide what you want to be, and behold you will be it.
I put in to study Electronics and Computers Eng. in FUTO in 2000, could not make it, thanks to JAMB, and then opted for Civil Eng. I never was focused until after my 3rd year. Realised I was loosing it and somehow picked up. Today I am doing fine. I will stand up to any civil engineer anywhere and speak. Evidence.. I got this Job right from school..I did my project defence in Oct 2005, and resumed Nov. 2005. no NYSC. I was picked up by this firm, a foreign firm. I did my training with their client in 2004. They kept tabs on me till I finished. That did not stop me from pursuing my interests in Electronics and Comp. eng. Today I am sun certified (JAVA developer) and an Expert in VB.NET. My final project was to develope a software application in Civil Eng.
so it is all bout you. Decide today if you want to be good. and You will be. In Nigeria or anywhere else. Yes it may be easier elsewhere but that does not say it in not possible. Ther are a lot of resources..One is the Internet. so Bingo. Got to go back to work.

alexash:

What are you guys saying. Bullshit. Nigerian gradutes... if really you are a graduate or not.. all your choice. Yes your choice. I'm a fresh graduate of that hell of a school called FUTO. Within FUTO you have all it takes to be it if you choose to be. it is all about attitude and discipline. One thing we never look at is the foundation. First, our High schools are Horrible. They are breeding grounds for criminals. I mean it. Imagine a curriculum designed for learning and character moulding being basterdized. If the so called curriculum for character moulding has been so basterdized beyond salvation, where the hell is the individual supposed to acquire good moral with which to build on.. within the University where You are more or less on your own?? I once read an article my classmate wrote sometime in my 2nd year, and I wept. It was a mess. I would not have written that in my SS2. His High school education was Zero. a shame because if he had a good foundation, the story for him and so many others would have been different. The guy who did not know wher the Liver is was not meant to learn that in the UNiversity, but in High school. A good high school foundation is the Key. That is the Conerstone. One other point we miss is the absence of quality Guidiance and Couselling in most schools and colleges. This is horrible. You see dudes in Computer Science department of FUTO not knowing why they are there. They want to be computer scientists.my foot. Bull rubbish. They want to be thought how to MS office in the University. Same it is in almost all Nigerian School. it is Horrible. With Focus and discipline...You will be a great graduate from a nigerian University.
JAMB pulls you into a field of Human endeavour you never thought of being. Before You realise it You have lost your chance. You find yourself struggling to keep up with the demands of the world you have found yourself!! and not the one you had prepared yourself (if ever ther was any though). That is the fate of most Nigerian Undergraduates. The fight, and continue fighting until they get to the red line. Horrible.
In the University.. FUTO for example.. Yes it is not rossy, the facilities are overstretched they say, but how many students actually use these facilities. I am a civil Engineer working with a foundation design firm in port harcourt. Today I look back at the laboratory Practical session I missed in soil mechanics and regret. A class of 180 students, only 12-15 attend such sessions regularly. then someone somewhere is blaming facilities. Bullshit. Let us use the ones we have and the complain that it isn't enough. Decide what you want to be, and behold you will be it.
I put in to study Electronics and Computers Eng. in FUTO in 2000, could not make it, thanks to JAMB, and then opted for Civil Eng. I never was focused until after my 3rd year. Realised I was loosing it and somehow picked up. Today I am doing fine. I will stand up to any civil engineer anywhere and speak. Evidence.. I got this Job right from school..I did my project defence in Oct 2005, and resumed Nov. 2005. no NYSC. I was picked up by this firm, a foreign firm. I did my training with their client in 2004. They kept tabs on me till I finished. That did not stop me from pursuing my interests in Electronics and Comp. eng. Today I am sun certified (JAVA developer) and an Expert in VB.NET. My final project was to develope a software application in Civil Eng.
so it is all bout you. Decide today if you want to be good. and You will be. In Nigeria or anywhere else. Yes it may be easier elsewhere but that does not say it in not possible. Ther are a lot of resources..One is the Internet. so Bingo. Got to go back to work.

Dude u r bomb..Big one indeed. Keep it up bro!

The Ajebota's will not know the true Nigeria.

Hi guys,
I think we really have a big problem with our education sylabus. The truth is that it should be scrapped. A computer science student doesn't know 'zip' here in nigeria. You can imagine a year three student still being taught COBOL, FORTRAN and all that ancient stuff. while we have new Languages emerging everyday leaving us like 60 years behind. The bottom line is that our lecturers need to be overhauled or they should be taken back to school. We only have lecturers who graduate and have no time to go for new languages, all they do is try to make a lot of money by exploiting students. And then they teach us 'Jack Shit'.
I was with a friend of mine once, a 3rd year Computer Engineering student of Uniben who had just gotten a Laptop through his uncle but lo and behold the guy didn't even know jack. not even how to use the common Microsoft word. he got tired of the whole stuff and turned his laptop into a music station. Now all he does with it is play videos and music.
Jeez i think we need to pray for our Univer... no our i'd prefer to call it our Secondary schools

You got right man!