Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil says C.S Lewis. It has become rather too obvious that we value less our education efforts in Nigeria comparably to schools abroad who have advanced their interests in education from learning facilities to research centres to revenue generating ventures. But what we don’t realize is that there is a conspiracy, though of interest, to defeat the Nigerian education efforts.

Reports from Nairametrics, a financial resource company based in Nigeria had earlier revealed in June, 2020 that Nigerians spend over #152 billion in tuition in UK annually and over approximately #1trillion annually to study abroad. There are indications that more of Nigerian school leavers, and undergraduates even after doing their undergraduate projects and post graduate projects are very hopeful of studying abroad with faith that their dreams meets opportunities over there.

The conspiracy of interest

Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Oxford and many other foreign universities in this category have made the name and legacy over time because of the intentional act of investing so much to their education system in diverse dimensions that attracting foreigners becomes very easy. There are a lot to be talked about but let’s consider a relatable few;

• Huge investment in research: For accountable reasons, foreign universities as listed above and more, have so much confidence in their research community base which are mostly in their universities. As a matter of importance, their undergraduate projects and final year research are meaningfully used as prototypes for further findings and innovations across several fields.

Three students in Sweden recently, were reported to have developed a product that alters wear and tear in tyres through their undergraduate research. They made the news and were called over by Volvo for partnership.

But over here in Nigeria, despite the huge investments in education infrastructure, it is not commensurate with the research inputs which overly affects research outcomes.

• Advanced and specialised curriculum: With more targeted and specialised courses, coupled with conducive study atmosphere structurally and otherwise, the foreign study base gives better assurance of quality learning and classified experience.

The ultimate goal is not just to provide improved learning facilities but to also earn as much revenue as they have earned from foreign students till date.

Most of the attractions are through scholarship programmes, partnership, sponsored Visa, masters programmes, distance learning, professional certification courses and other fully sponsored programmes.

However, as a nation we can still gear up and take the bull by the horn. One way to withstand this conspiracy is to invest more on infrastructural facilities in the education sector, sponsor meaningful undergraduate projects and research and promote innovation at all levels through partnership and internship across several faculties of education.

This way, we will save more from foreign education and focus more strengthening our educational weaknesses.

Nigeria is still far behind when it comes academics and research