Marrying the town and the gown is when we churn out graduates from our tertiary institutions to meet the needs of the society- home and abroad. the gown (convocation gown) and the town (Nigeria and diaspora)
we graduate persons from diverse areas in Nigeria yet we are 'under developed!'
Last year someone once said on NL that,
“Where is the job out there? After 5 years of mental labour in the University, with aging parents and years sliding away and University strikes that impedes Masters Program? Tell me, who will not fall for the offer of a lucrative salary?”
But are we only being educated to make a living\earn a living or also to contribute to the society? The motto of my primary school which we so energetically sung back then in the 80’s and 90’s was,
“Knowledge for service is our aim, our heavenly Father we have come to achieve, our aim!”
There are so many graduates and bound projects\thesis shelved in various university libraries but so little impact on the society, where our needs are numerous. We have Elect\Elect graduates but still have electric power issues. Why can’t they convert their school thesis into something workable? Instead most of our graduates aim to earn mega bucks in oil & gas companies, telecoms companies, multi-national economic firms, ivy league law firms, federal teaching hospitals, international NGOs, lucrative federal parastatals like DPR, SEC, NNPC, NCC, etc.
They are jobs everywhere or and also job seekers! The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few. God Almighty has sent us into this world to fulfil purpose; locate yours and get to work.
I recently discussed this in a conference in the midst of employers of labour, university dons and young graduates and no one could really proffer a way out of this crippling issue of no job but many problems in Nigeria wherein job creation can fix.
God dey

nice article.

we graduate persons from diverse areas in Nigeria yet we are 'under developed

One of the bad Effect of poor leadership/ human resources managment