Learning the Right Way

Some people are of the opinion that the average Nigerian waits on the government to solve the slightest problem, including unblocking their kitchen sink and picking up their dust bins free of charge. While that is, of course, an overstatement, the inconvenient truth remains that the Nigerian government- at all levels- has failed in its responsibility to provide an enabling environment and infrastructural support to help its citizens live a normal life.

However, if there is a grain of truth that the average Nigerian is disinclined to devising, at least temporary, solutions to improve his or her situation, that mindset is likely to be one of the unintended consequences of our educational system. Don’t believe me? Let’s consider the default pedagogy and socio-political milieu which, according to a renowned scholar, has made salesmen and maintenance people out of Nigerians, instead of making us innovators.

While we do not need to belabour the rot called primary education, where lower primary school pupils- in private and public schools- are overburdened with note writing, cramming and bland definitions, undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing diverse courses in Nigerian universities lament how they are getting education by proxy, where dyed-in-the-wool lecturers compel them to buy ‘hand-outs’ without which they could never pass their courses.

But all hope is not lost on our nation, as my personal experience at one of the more grounded private universities in the country leaves me with bated breath that when things are done well, Nigeria has all it takes to astound the world. There, learning is by praxis, with a vibrant mix of lecturers and subject-matter practitioners who engage students by using real life experiences and not nineteenth century conjecture.

In my pursuit of practical knowledge, I’ve had the privilege of attending function-specific courses, seminars and workshops tailored to equip me with requisite skills designed to advance my career, and I have been captivated by the practical applications of marketing, media and management modules facilitated by street smart professionals like Ralph Ogbechie, Richard Ikiebe, Femi Odugbemi, Ken Onyeali-Ikpe, Nneka Okekearu, and one of the rising stars of corporate Nigeria, Seni Adetu, who has also brought his management and boardroom experience at one of Nigeria’s leading multinational companies to bear in the programme for chief executives.

The famous educationist, Maria Montessori, said that, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher…is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” Similarly, the greatest sign of success for any government is to be able to say, “Our citizens have taken responsibility for clearing their drainages, while ever challenging us to build infrastructure and create an enabling environment for development.” I think this ill be achieved by a purposeful and practical learning environment that has far-reaching goals and objectives beyond the self-satisfied grin on my face when my children regurgitate meaningless definitions and terms in lower primary that I only encountered in junior secondary school.

Olufemi Adeyemo is a visiting faculty at the School of Media and Communication of the Pan Atlantic University (PAU) in Lagos.

http://dailypost.ng/2015/09/29/learning-the-right-way-by-olufemi-adeyemo/

Prince Seni Adetu is the immediate past Managing Director and CEO of Guinness Nigeria Plc. The dynamic and well-spoken Adetu is a corporate icon of immense status having had a distinguished 30 years non-stop working experience with multinational companies at home and abroad. Adetu began his career with John Holt Plc in 1986 as Brand Manager in the Haco Division; and joined Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited as Field Marketing Manager in 1992. While in the company, Adetu held various positions of increasing responsibilities in Sales, Marketing and General Management in several countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. In 1998, he became the first Nigerian and first African appointed Marketing Director for the Coca-Cola Company in Nigeria; and subsequently had his first General Management experience in 2001; having been assigned responsibilities for all of English West Africa (excluding Nigeria).
https://www.retailcongressafrica.com/speakers/seni-adetu

Richard Okhumale Ikiebe, a Senior Fellow with the School and Director of the Centre for Leadership in Journalsm (CLeJ), is an accomplished Media and Management Consultant. He worked as Special Adviser to the Chief of General Staff and as Special Assistant to Minister of Information. He served as World Bank Consultant to the Federal Ministry of Information and the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE); as Communication Consultant to Vision 2010; and the AU, among others. A former editor with the Pan African News Agency, Dakar Senegal, Ikiebe has worked with the Daily Times of Nigeria, Newswatch and hosted acclaimed radio and television programmes for networks in Nigeria. Ikiebe is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Cornerstone Insurance Plc., and he was on the Council of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). A director and a Fellow of the Institute of National Transformation, (INT), he holds two degrees from the Universities of Ohio and Wisconsin, USA, and a diploma from the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos. rikiebe@smc.edu.ng

Femi Odugbemi (born 1963) is a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, Screenwriter, cinematographer, director, producer and photographer.[1][2][3].

Odugbemi was born in Lagos State, south western Nigeria.[4]

He attended Montana State University where he studied film and television production. Having completed his education in the university, he worked briefly as film and radio producer at lintas Advertising.

He had scripted, directed and produced documentaries, short films and drama.[5] He produced Tinsel, a Nigerian soap opera that began airing in August 2008 acclaimed "the most successful television drama on Nigerian television in recent times" in 2013.[6]

Odugbemi scripted, directed and produced Bariga Boys, a multiple award-winning Nigerian documentary about street performers in Bariga, Lagos.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femi_Odugbemi

Dr. Ken Onyeali-Ikpe who has over two decades of managerial experience in Advertising & Marketing Communications leads the MEDIACOM-NIGERIA team. It is the pioneer Media Independent Company in Nigeria and this leadership position has been consolidated under his supervision in the last 13 years.

Nneka Okekearu is the Deputy Director of EDC.

Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University was set up as a direct response to providing a holistic business development and support services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. Established in January 2003, EDC started as Enterprise Development Services (EDS), providing capacity building programs and a variety of wrap around services such as advisory services, mentoring, experts-in-residence, network meetings, access to market & information, implementation of organizational plans and more!

Her role as deputy director involves implementation of all strategic objectives of the center. Nneka is also responsible for quality management of EDC’s programs and services.