₦airaland Forum

lay out poor, too many words!! . Blue theme typical of AI generated web app

When Knowledge Must Answer the Call of Society

One of the most troubling questions facing higher education in Nigeria today is whether our universities are adequately translating their intellectual resources into solutions to the problems confronting society. Our universities have professors, laboratories, research students and departments dedicated to understanding the natural world, developing technologies and solving environmental problems. Yet, when a serious challenge emerges within their immediate communities, the public is often left wondering where the practical contribution of this enormous intellectual capacity can be found.

The recurring gas emissions affecting Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State provide an important opportunity to examine this question.

In October 2026, reports emerged of students being hospitalised following another episode of suspected gas exposure in schools across the affected communities. Earlier incidents had also generated public anxiety, school disruptions and government intervention. The Ogun State Government has attributed the phenomenon to underground geological activity and identified methane and hydrogen sulphide among the suspected gases, while further investigations have been described as necessary to establish their precise origin. "Channels Television, October 21, 2026" (https://www.channelstv.com/2026/10/21/students-hospitalised-after-fresh-methane-emission-in-two-ogun-lgas/).

This is not merely an environmental problem. It is a test of scientific investigation, institutional responsibility and the relationship between universities and the communities that surround them.

Most importantly, it raises a difficult question: if a university such as Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, possesses academic expertise relevant to investigating this phenomenon, why should the public not expect that expertise to contribute meaningfully to uncovering the truth?

The Ijebu Gas Mystery: An Opportunity for Scientific Investigation

The recurring emissions demand a systematic investigation rather than speculation. Residents deserve to know what gases are present, where they originate, why they appear repeatedly, what conditions trigger their release and what measures can prevent further exposure.

Government statements have associated the incidents with the Ifewara–Zungeru geological fault system. However, identifying a possible geological pathway is not the same as conclusively establishing the origin of the gas, its migration mechanism or the conditions responsible for each incident.

A rigorous investigation must distinguish between preliminary explanations and conclusions supported by independently verifiable evidence.

For example, methane may originate from microbial activity or deeper geological processes. Hydrogen sulphide can arise from several geological, biological and industrial processes. Determining the actual source requires reliable sampling, laboratory analysis and geological interpretation.

Researchers would need to measure gas concentrations at affected sites, examine soil-gas movement, investigate subsurface structures, analyse relevant chemical signatures and compare alternative explanations. They would also need to establish whether the emissions are connected across the different locations or represent separate events with similar symptoms.

Such an investigation is entirely consistent with the objectives of scientific research. The challenge is to organise the necessary expertise, resources and institutional cooperation around a clearly defined public problem.

OOU Has Relevant Expertise: Why Not Mobilise It?

Olabisi Onabanjo University is located in Ago-Iwoye, within the same broad geographical area affected by the reported incidents. Its proximity creates a valuable opportunity for collaboration between the university, government agencies, affected schools and surrounding communities.

The university's official Department of Earth Sciences website identifies expertise in applied geophysics, hydrogeology, engineering geology, petroleum geology, geochemistry and environmental geoscience. Its academic staff include specialists in applied geophysics, environmental geology, hydrogeology and petroleum geochemistry.

The university also lists research facilities and field-investigation capabilities relevant to Earth sciences. These resources provide a credible institutional starting point for a multidisciplinary investigation.

"Source: Official OOU Department of Earth Sciences" (https://main.oouagoiwoye.edu.ng/colleges/faculties/science/earth-sciences/).

The relevant expertise is not limited to Earth Sciences. Chemistry can support the identification and analysis of gases. Physics and applied geophysics can contribute to subsurface investigations. Microbiology can investigate possible biological sources. Environmental engineering can develop monitoring systems, while Urban and Regional Planning can map affected locations and assess the vulnerability of schools and residential areas.

Public-health specialists can help assess exposure and health outcomes.

The combination of these disciplines could provide the foundation for a serious investigation.

The critical question, therefore, is not whether the university has professors or whether their qualifications are impressive. It is whether the relevant expertise is being coordinated into a research programme capable of delivering reliable answers.

It would be unfair to conclude, without evidence, that OOU professors have done nothing or that individual academics are responsible for the absence of a publicly available definitive explanation. Their involvement, ongoing work and access to relevant funding and facilities would need to be established before such a judgment could be made.

Nevertheless, the community has a legitimate basis to ask the university what contribution it has made, what findings are available and what further assistance is required.

The Problem of Academic Prestige Without Demonstrable Public Impact

The concern extends beyond OOU. It touches on a longstanding debate about the relationship between academic achievement and practical innovation in Nigerian higher education.

Academic qualifications and publications are important. Research papers preserve knowledge, allow scientific scrutiny, communicate discoveries and contribute to technological development. A university cannot be expected to solve every problem simply because it employs professors in a relevant discipline.

However, the production of publications should not become the only visible measure of academic achievement.

A professor of geology whose expertise can help investigate environmental hazards should have opportunities to apply that expertise to relevant field problems. An engineering professor should be encouraged to develop and validate practical solutions. A planning academic should be able to demonstrate how research informs safer land use, infrastructure and community development.

The problem arises when academic advancement becomes disconnected from the practical value that research can create.

Where promotion systems reward publications more visibly than verified research impact, institutions may have insufficient incentives to prioritise long-term community problems. Where research funding is inadequate, laboratories lack essential equipment or government agencies fail to collaborate with universities, even committed researchers may struggle to turn their knowledge into practical outcomes.

Consequently, the problem should not automatically be reduced to personal ego or individual indifference. It may also reflect institutional incentives, inadequate funding, fragmented responsibility, administrative barriers and weak accountability.

Yet these structural explanations must not become permanent excuses for inaction.

Universities and their governing authorities should examine whether their research priorities adequately address pressing local challenges and whether there are effective mechanisms for turning scientific knowledge into public benefit.

From Academic Titles to Measurable Results

The Ijebu gas incident presents an opportunity to establish a different standard of research accountability.

Instead of measuring success only by the number of professors involved, research papers produced or conferences attended, the public should be able to assess the work through clearly defined deliverables.

First, the university could publish a preliminary investigation protocol identifying the research questions, participating disciplines, required equipment and proposed methods.

Second, the research team could undertake properly controlled field sampling and laboratory analysis. The resulting data should identify which gases were detected, their concentrations, the locations and times of measurement, the instruments used and the limitations of the findings.

Third, the researchers could investigate the possible source of the emissions using geological mapping, geophysical surveys and chemical analyses. Competing hypotheses should be tested rather than assuming that one explanation is correct from the beginning.

Fourth, the university could produce a technical report explaining what has been established, what remains uncertain and what additional evidence is required.

Finally, the findings should be communicated in accessible language to the affected communities, school authorities and relevant government agencies.

This would not require the university to promise an immediate or complete solution. Some geological and environmental investigations are complex and may take considerable time. What matters is that the investigation follows a transparent scientific process and produces evidence that can be independently evaluated.

Town Planning Must Also Be Part of the Solution

The gas emissions demonstrate why scientific research should not stop after identifying a possible underground source.

Even when the origin of a hazard is understood, the question remains: how should communities organise their physical development to reduce exposure?

Urban and Regional Planning can contribute through geographic information systems, land-use surveys, development control and hazard-sensitive planning.

Researchers could map confirmed emission sites against schools, hospitals, residential neighbourhoods, boreholes, quarries and other relevant land uses. The resulting analysis could help identify potentially exposed populations and inform decisions about monitoring, emergency access and future development.

However, planning restrictions should be based on credible hazard assessments and appropriate legal authority. A geological fault alone does not automatically establish that every location above or near it is unsafe.

This illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation. Geologists investigate the subsurface; chemists establish the composition of emissions; engineers develop monitoring and mitigation systems; public-health specialists assess exposure; and planners use the resulting evidence to guide safer development.

No single department can adequately perform all these functions.

The Role of Government and Institutional Leadership

A university-led investigation would not remove the responsibilities of the Ogun State Government or relevant federal agencies.

Government has responsibilities for public safety, environmental regulation, emergency response and the protection of schoolchildren. It also has the authority to facilitate access to affected sites, coordinate agencies and support appropriate investigations.

OOU's management could initiate discussions with the state government, relevant environmental and petroleum regulators, school authorities and independent laboratories. A formal agreement could define responsibilities, funding, access to data and the publication of findings.

The university should not be expected to finance every aspect of an expensive environmental investigation from its own resources. Equally, the absence of an existing government contract should not prevent it from proposing a research collaboration or publicly offering relevant expertise.

Institutional leadership matters because interdisciplinary investigations rarely succeed through informal cooperation alone. They require defined objectives, accountable leadership, sufficient resources and a mechanism for reporting progress.

The university's governing council, vice-chancellor, faculty leadership and relevant departments could help create such a mechanism.

A public-interest research programme would also give postgraduate students opportunities to work on a significant real-world problem, provided the work is properly supervised and does not compromise safety or scientific standards.

What Should OOU Do Now?

A practical response could begin with five actions.

1. Establish a multidisciplinary investigation team. Bring together relevant specialists in Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, Environmental Engineering, Urban and Regional Planning and Public Health.

2. Engage government agencies and independent laboratories. Agree on a scientifically sound sampling programme, access to existing data and procedures for independent verification.

3. Publish an initial research framework. State the principal questions, proposed methods, required resources, responsibilities and anticipated reporting milestones.

4. Produce a public technical report. Present the evidence, explain the limitations and distinguish established findings from hypotheses that still require testing.

5. Develop a practical safety and monitoring plan. Work with the authorities to establish appropriate monitoring, emergency procedures and evidence-based recommendations for affected schools and communities.

These steps would create a transparent basis for evaluating the university's contribution. They would also help prevent unverified explanations from becoming accepted as scientific conclusions.

Rethinking What It Means to Be a Professor

A professorship represents considerable academic achievement, but the title alone does not establish that an individual has solved a practical problem. Equally, the absence of a publicly visible solution does not prove that a professor is incompetent or motivated by personal prestige.

The more useful question is what institutions expect their professors to accomplish, what resources they provide and how they evaluate the results.

Teaching, theoretical research and publication remain essential to universities. However, institutions should also create opportunities and incentives for researchers to address environmental hazards, improve public infrastructure, develop useful technologies and support evidence-based policy.

Not every academic must become an inventor or directly solve a major societal problem. Some research is foundational, and its practical benefits may emerge only after many years. Nevertheless, where a pressing local problem closely matches the expertise available within a university, a serious attempt at collaboration is reasonable to expect.

The public should be able to ask questions about research priorities, institutional engagement and practical outcomes without being accused of disrespecting academic authority.

Indeed, constructive scrutiny can strengthen universities by encouraging them to demonstrate the relevance of their work.

Conclusion: Let Research Serve the People

The recurring gas emissions affecting Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities present a serious challenge to public safety and an important opportunity for scientific collaboration.

Olabisi Onabanjo University has relevant academic expertise that could contribute to investigating the phenomenon. Its participation would not guarantee an immediate discovery, but it could strengthen the quality, independence and transparency of the investigation.

The appropriate response is neither to condemn every professor without evidence nor to assume that academic titles automatically translate into public service. It is to demand a clear account of what has been done, identify the expertise and resources available, and establish a credible path towards further investigation.

If the university is already conducting relevant research, it should communicate its methods, progress and findings appropriately. If no coordinated investigation has been initiated, its leadership should consider establishing one with the relevant authorities.

The residents of Ijebu land deserve answers grounded in evidence. Schoolchildren deserve effective protection from environmental hazards. Researchers deserve the resources and institutional support necessary to do serious work. Universities, in turn, should be willing to demonstrate how their expertise contributes to the society that sustains them.

Ultimately, the value of a university is not measured by its professors' titles alone, nor solely by the number of publications appearing under its name. It is also reflected in the quality of knowledge it produces, the integrity with which it investigates difficult questions and the contribution it makes to human welfare.

The challenge before OOU is therefore clear: bring its relevant expertise together, investigate the Ijebu gas emissions rigorously, communicate the findings transparently and help translate scientific knowledge into practical protection for the people.

That is how academic excellence can become a demonstrable public benefit.

I agree with the Senator on one point: if we produce more food locally, supply will increase and that can help bring food prices down. But calling Nigerians who buy food from the market lazy is where I disagree with him.

Not everybody can be a farmer. Someone living in Lagos or another big city may not even have land, time, equipment to start farming.

We also need to understand division of labour. A lecturer teaches, an engineer designs, a doctor treats people, a farmer produces food, a mechanic repairs cars, etc. Everybody specializes in what they know how to do and they exchange their products and services through the market.

Going to the market to buy food is not laziness. In fact, markets exist because people specialize. Imagine an engineer spending six hours every day farming just because he doesn't want to buy food from the market. He may produce some food, but he could lose much more by neglecting his engineering work. It may make more sense for him to do his engineering job, earn money and buy food from a farmer whose own job is to produce food.

Interestingly, the Senator himself says he produces most of his food but still buys vegetables from the market. So if buying food from the market makes someone lazy, then he is also depending on the market whenever he buys those vegetables. 😂

The real problem is not that Nigerians buy food from the market. The problem is that we are not producing enough food efficiently.

Instead of insulting people for buying food, let's make farming more profitable, improve security, provide infrastructure, reduce the cost of inputs and encourage serious commercial agriculture.

We should encourage Nigerians to produce more, yes. But buying from the market is not laziness. That is simply how division of labour and a functioning economy work.

carlo90:
University degree still remain relevant .
They keep on saying education na scam .
Now they have focus on university degree ?

To be sincere, university education is still relevant. However, for many young people from poor families who are looking for the fastest route out of poverty, it may no longer be the quickest option. Earning a degree requires years of study and significant financial investment, yet there is no guarantee of immediate employment or a good income after graduation.

For such individuals, I would advise learning a profitable trade, vocational skill, or digital skill first. Once they become financially stable and establish themselves, they can pursue a university degree without the pressure of depending on it as their only means of survival.

A university degree should be seen as a tool for professional development, not as an automatic ticket to wealth. In today's economy, combining education with practical skills, entrepreneurship, and real-world experience offers a much better chance of long-term success.

Nnamdipapa:
I think our educational system needs a serious overhaul in this country, and our leaders are not ready for that conversation. Back in 2010, when I finished my MBA at OAU, on the last day of the exam, I sat to reflect and found I never learned a single thing. It was such a waste of my time, considering I had options to wrap up my ACCA at the time, which I left for the MBA. Maybe because I was an accounting graduate and a chartered accountant, the MBA subjects were very familiar to my previous studies.

Many of these programmes have become major sources of internally generated revenue (IGR) for universities. Unless you're already fully employed and financially stable, enrolling in some of them can be a poor investment of your time and money.In many cases, the curriculum is largely a repetition of what you were taught during your previous studies, with little emphasis on practical skills or new knowledge that would significantly improve your career prospects.

creepycramp:
Graduates spend years unemployed.
Employers increasingly value digital skills.
Many self-taught tech workers earn more than degree holders.
Schools still emphasize memorization instead of problem-solving.
If you were 18 again today, would you still spend four or five years in university?

A university degree is still essential for professions such as medicine, engineering, law, pharmacy, nursing, accounting, architecture, and academia. Rather than studying just any course simply to become a graduate, students should choose programmes that align with their career goals and industry needs.

This is one reason I still believe an HND in Engineering remains a relevant option for those who cannot secure university admission, instead of pursuing an unrelated degree solely for the title of "graduate."

That said, much of the problem lies with the government. As the number of graduates continues to grow every year, job creation has not kept pace, leaving many qualified graduates unemployed or underemployed.

rafcrown:
One country ,numerous security challenges
Herdsmen
Bandits
Kidnappers
Terrorists
Armed robbers
Motor park touts
Ritualists
Etc

Nigeria is a dangerous place to live.

Ttalk:
You are still not making sense, if it is cheap for me to provide my water and generate my power through solar why is it more expensive if government mass produce it where economies of scale comes in.

I've done my calculation based on my investment in my household power supply and I discovered it is more cheaper than what people in band A and B are paying

It can't be cheaper. Generating electricity through solar is extremely expensive when compared with what you gotten from Nepa. For a solar setup that can work like nepa, power equipment like nepa etc, per unit kwhr can't be less than #500/units

Olachase:
Nice write up from you
What did you have to say about someone who have the skills but started academic late

What standard can this take one to

Certificate in Mechatroins Engineering
H.N.D in Mechanical

Professional Skills Electro-mechanical Engineering

Your pathway is actually ideal. You've got hands-on experience first, then adding HND structure on top which most graduates lack. You can reach senior technical roles, management positions, or run your own business. The HND opens institutional doors while your years of practical experience makes you more valuable than fresh graduates. Your only potential ceiling is if you want very high corporate positions requiring a degree, but in technical fields, your combination of experience and HND qualification is genuinely more powerful than a degree alone.

If you're a young Nigerian sitting for WAEC or JAMB right now, you've probably asked yourself this question at least a hundred times: Should I go to university or learn a trade? Your parents have asked it. Your teachers have definitely asked it. It's become almost a national obsession, this debate between the pen and the hammer, the classroom and the workshop.

But here's what I want to tell you straight up: The question itself is flawed.

THE PROBLEM WITH EITHER-OR THINKING

Neither academic skill nor technical skill is superior on its own. I know this might sound like fence-sitting, but hear me out because it's more nuanced and honestly, more useful than just picking a side.

Think about it. In Nigeria today, we have graduates working as tellers in banks while we also have brilliant technicians who can't access certain positions without credentials. We have teachers earning peanuts while some self-taught software developers are making six figures. Meanwhile, engineers without practical experience can't solve real problems on site.

What's actually happening? The economy has changed, but our thinking hasn't caught up.

Each skill type serves different functions. What actually matters is something much more important than which one you choose: it's how you convert either one into capability, opportunity, and the ability to adapt.

UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC SKILL: KNOWLEDGE AND STRUCTURE

When I say academic skill, I'm talking about formal education, theory, research, and credential-based learning. This is the university degree. This is the professional certification. This is the structured knowledge you get from textbooks and lectures and research papers.

What does academic skill actually do for you?

First, it builds your thinking. When you're doing university coursework, you're learning how to think systematically, how to analyze problems from multiple angles, how to construct arguments. That structured thinking becomes part of how you approach everything, not just academics.

Second, there's the matter of credentials. Certificates and degrees matter in Nigeria. They open specific doors. If you want to be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer with a professional license? You need that qualification. These aren't just pieces of paper. They're gatekeepers to entire sectors of the economy. Government jobs, international NGOs, corporate management tracks, banking, telecommunications. Most of these require academic qualifications.

Third, academic training develops your research foundation. You learn how to find information, verify it, think critically about data. This matters more than you might think, especially in a world where misinformation spreads like harmattan wind.

But let's be honest about the limitations too.

Academic skills take time to convert into income. Years and years, sometimes. You spend four years at university, come out, and then you're competing with thousands of other graduates for entry-level positions. The knowledge you gained is valuable, but it's abstract. It hasn't solved anyone's immediate problem yet. That translates to slow financial returns.

There's also this problem: universities teach theory, often disconnected from what the market actually needs right now. By the time you graduate in computer science, the programming language you learned extensively might be aging out. The business frameworks you studied might not match the Nigerian business environment. You're learning solutions to problems that might not exist anymore by the time you get to solve them.

And let's face it, academic skill depends heavily on institutions and systems. If the system fails you, if the economy collapses, if there's no job available for your qualification, what then? You've invested years and money in something that the market can't currently absorb.

UNDERSTANDING TECHNICAL SKILL: EXECUTION AND APPLIED ABILITY

Technical skill is different. This is hands-on ability. Building things. Fixing things. Writing code that actually works. Designing systems that function. Repairing equipment. Creating value you can touch and test immediately.

When you learn a technical skill, you're not learning theory. You're learning what works. A plumber knows how to fix pipes. A software developer can build an application. A graphics designer can create materials that clients pay for. An electrician knows how to wire a house safely.

The immediate advantage? Technical skill converts to income quickly. Faster than almost any academic qualification. You learn a skill, you apply it, someone pays you for solving their problem. This is why you see teenagers making money from freelancing platforms. This is why welders are in such high demand in Lagos.

Technical skills also enable entrepreneurship. You don't need permission from anybody to start a business with technical ability. You don't need credentials or licenses to start offering services in many technical fields. You find customers who have problems, you solve their problems, they pay you. Direct connection between skill and survival.

There's remarkable adaptability here too. The market shifts? Technical people shift with it. A developer learns new languages. A builder learns new materials and methods. The core problem-solving ability remains the same, so you can move between different applications of your skills relatively easily.

Industries like ICT, energy, construction, agriculture, and manufacturing are crying for technical people right now in Nigeria. The demand is enormous, and it's growing.

But technical skill has its own ceiling, so to speak.

Without formal credentials or structure, it's hard to gain institutional acceptance. You can be the best craftsman in your community, but if you want to work for a major corporation or multinational, that lack of formal qualification becomes a barrier. Many companies have minimum education requirements they won't bend on, even if you can do the job better than their university-educated employees.

Technical skill can also plateau. Without deeper theoretical knowledge, you might find yourself stuck doing the same thing the same way for decades. You lack the framework to innovate, to understand why things work, to adapt to fundamental shifts in your field. You're executing, but you're not thinking strategically.

Scaling is genuinely difficult without communication and management skills. If you want to move beyond doing hands-on work yourself, if you want to build a company or teach others, you need soft skills. The technical ability alone isn't enough.

THE MISSING CONVERSATION: SKILL CONVERSION

Here's what nobody talks about enough. Having a skill, any skill, is just the starting point. What matters is converting that skill into actual value.

In most developing economies, including Nigeria, success increasingly depends on skill conversion into value. Not just knowledge. Not just ability. But the ability to convert either one into something the market will reward.

Think about this carefully. You can have a degree and be unemployable because you can't communicate or solve actual problems. You can have technical skill and earn minimum wage because you're not positioned properly or you can't scale. The skill itself isn't enough.

What matters is this combination: Are you solving a real problem that people actually have? Can you charge money for it or create income from it? Can your impact extend beyond just your own hands? Can you deliver consistently and reliably? Can you evolve as technologies and markets change?

This is what I call skill conversion. It's the bridge between having ability and actually creating opportunity.

The real hierarchy, if you want to think about success, looks like this: Applied skill combined with problem solving ability combined with consistency beats someone with only academic skill or only technical skill. Every single time.

THE BALANCED APPROACH: WHY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO BOTH

Here's something interesting I've noticed. The people who actually succeed long term, across industries, across Nigeria and beyond, they don't choose. They do both.

The successful entrepreneur often has a technical skill but also business education. The respected engineer has formal qualifications but also hands-on site experience. The consultant has academic credentials but also years of practical problem solving. The teacher has teaching qualifications but also keeps learning and developing new skills.

Why? Because academic skills provide foundation, credibility, and the mental framework for growth. Technical skills provide execution power, immediate value, and income. You need both to build something that lasts.

Think about it this way. If you only have theory and no practical ability, you're a dreamer who can't build anything. If you only have practical ability with no theoretical framework, you're limited in how far you can scale or innovate. But if you have both? You can think deeply, execute excellently, and solve real problems. That combination is rare. That combination is valuable.

The academic training gives you discipline. It teaches you how to learn systematically. It provides credentials that unlock institutional doors. It builds the mental habits that help you think through complex problems.

The technical training gives you immediate credibility in markets. It creates income while you're building everything else. It keeps you grounded in reality. It makes sure you don't just theorize but actually deliver results.

Together, they create something neither one alone can create: long term success, influence, and the ability to lead, teach, and scale impact beyond yourself.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN NIGERIA TODAY

If you're sitting for exams right now or you're starting your career, what should you actually do?

First, build your academic foundation. This doesn't necessarily mean university, though for some fields it does. But it means discipline in learning, developing literacy (the real kind, not just reading words), and building reasoning skills. This provides the mental framework for everything that comes after.

Second, choose a specific technical competence. Something marketable. Something people actually want to pay for. Learn it well. Focus on execution. Make sure you can actually do the thing, not just talk about it.

Third, deliberately work on soft skills. Learn to communicate. Understand basic business principles. Develop leadership ability. These skills amplify everything else you can do.

Fourth, stay focused on real problems. Don't just pick skills arbitrarily. Look around your community, your market, your potential customers. What are they struggling with? What can you help solve? Alignment between your skills and real human problems is where value emerges.

And here's the part people often miss: Start monetizing early. Don't wait until you're perfect. Don't wait until you have everything figured out. Make money from your skills as you're developing them. Iterate and improve based on what the market tells you, not what theory says.

A PRINCIPLE AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION

The most successful people throughout history weren't defined by certificates alone. They weren't just raw talent either. They were defined by mastery of a craft that served a real need. The master builder. The skilled craftsman. The learned teacher. The competent doctor. The brilliant engineer.

What united all of them? Skill became powerful only when it was useful to others.

Think about that. Really think about it.

This principle doesn't change whether you're in Lagos, London, or Silicon Valley. It's as true in 2024 as it was in 1924. Skill is only powerful when it's useful to others. When it solves problems people care about. When it creates value that markets reward.

So many young Nigerians are learning skills that nobody needs. Or they're getting qualifications that don't translate to anything useful. That's the real waste. Not the choice between academic or technical. The waste is learning something nobody wants.

But when you align skill with real problems? When you develop the ability to execute? When you gain the credentials to access opportunities? When you combine knowledge with action? That's when things actually start moving.

YOUR PATH FORWARD

Here's what the evidence shows. The safest starting point for most young people today is this: Start with technical skill. Get good at something practical that solves problems. Generate income. Gain credibility in the market.

Then reinforce that with academic discipline. Keep learning. Get certifications if they help. Build the theoretical framework that lets you scale beyond just doing the work yourself. Build the credentials that let you access larger opportunities.

And grow both together from that point. The initial security of income and market feedback will help you sustain yourself while you build deeper knowledge. The deep knowledge will help you scale and innovate beyond what raw technique alone can achieve.

This path works differently for different people. If you're naturally suited to academia, you might start with university, then ensure you get practical experience during school and after. If you're more practically minded, you might start with apprenticeship or technical training, then layer on formal education as you go.

But the principle remains: Don't choose between these. Find the sequence that works for you, then do both.

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE BALANCED

The economy of the future, in Nigeria and globally, will be shaped by people who can do three things simultaneously. They can think deeply. They can execute excellently. And they can solve real problems that actual people will pay to have solved.

That's the convergence of academic and technical skill. That's not either-or. That's both-and.

You don't have to choose. Actually, if you want to build something that lasts, you can't choose. You have to do both. The question isn't academic versus technical. The real question is: How will you develop both in a way that actually creates opportunity in your life?

That's the question worth asking. And honestly, that's the one that will determine how far you actually go.


What's your experience? Are you purely academic, purely technical, or are you trying to balance both? Share your story in the comments below. Let's have this conversation properly.

Why sudden drop in gas supply? Is it that we are no longer producing enough?

Always recite this every morning!!
A Personal Manifesto on Living
I accept that the greatest questions of existence may never be answered with certainty.
Why we are here and what our ultimate purpose is remain unresolved, not for lack of thought, but because reality does not owe us explanations.
I reject borrowed meanings that demand belief without evidence.
I choose clarity over comfort, questioning over submission, and awareness over illusion.
This world, as it stands, is my only assured home.
Therefore, I treat life itself as my heaven—not postponed, not promised elsewhere, but lived here and now.
Since tomorrow is not guaranteed and never a right, I commit to living consciously.
I will create, experience, and remember.
I will measure my life not by accumulation, but by depth.
I choose contentment over greed, knowing that excess corrodes peace.
I guard my happiness carefully, because it is fragile and easily surrendered.
I stay busy with purpose, avoiding idle minds and reckless followership.
I question everything—authority, tradition, belief, and myself—because unexamined acceptance is a quiet form of surrender.
I choose my companions wisely, valuing intelligence in its many forms, honesty of thought, and independence of mind.
If meaning is not given, then dignity lies in how deliberately I live.
If the universe is silent, then my response is to live fully, clearly, and without apology.

Nazgul:
Exactly.

If you want to use Claude, you’ll need to create an account first. As soon as you sign up, you’re automatically placed on the free plan, but that free tier is very limited. You can run out of prompts quickly, and once you exhaust your daily quota, you'd have to wait until the next day before you can continue.

For people who use it heavily, especially for things like coding, where you might need well over 100 prompts in one day, the free plan won’t be enough. In that case, the Pro plan becomes the practical option. It’s about $17 per month, and it offers much more flexibility, higher limits, and overall better access to the model’s features. I'll recommend this one to you.

. You can also try Manus.im

Nazgul:
Lol. If you still believe that writing a 10,000 word code manually from scratch (like the one in his attachment) in this day and age is the best way to build anything...It’s either you don’t fully grasp how software engineering has evolved…or you seriously underestimate what today’s AI tools can do.

The actual skill isn’t proving to everyone that you can suffer so they can applaud you for the number of hours or days you spent building a wonderful project. It’s about knowing how to combine your technical understanding with AI efficiency so you can build smarter, faster, and cleaner.

Spending days typing out what an AI can handle in minutes doesn’t make you a better programmer. It just shows how you’re refusing to upgrade your toolkit while the rest of the industry has moved on.

You're right. Writing code from scratch is complete waste of time now. What you need now is having basic knowledge, from there start using AI. Ive built complex Arduino projects by using chatgpt. Knowing how to use ai now is the new skill needed now. But how do you use Claude without limitations of few prompts

sreamsense:
Turn that your intellectual property to lift yourself out of poverty first before you ever remember helping the world. Google guys were PhD holders, their parents were professors; they could have gone into lecturing easily, but they use their own intellectual property to first lifted themselves out of poverty, then reach out to help the world. Now, they are one of the employers of labour worldwide today instead of crying for salary increment like you. Add more value to yourself if you think you have that intellectual property you claimed to get out yourself out of poverty and stop all these increment noise.

Many of you are only deceiving yourselves on paper with your unsellable intellectual property . Copy and paste of student projects is what many of you called intellectual property of which real world researchers have moved away from that your kindergarten intellectual property. If you actually have real original intellectual property, you would have moved out to look for organizations that will help turn your intellectual property to money making ventures or sell them to lift yourself out of poverty forever or struggle to build that your intellectual property and bid bye bye to poverty that will no longer be fighting for salary increment.

You better stop deceiving yourself with intellectual properties as if we are just hearing it for the first time. Keep eating your intellectual property if you can't turn it to money and stop yearly noise of salary increment.

.The google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin didn't finished their Phd. They both left the program when it seems they have better opportunities then. To be sincere many who found themselves in academic are only there because there are no other choices. To be really successful and rich in life one need to find his or her own path not through paid employment.

oxygenlove:
”i only use petty thieves” in the context of the headline. “They wanted to kill me”…

Just pray you don't experience this? You will know kaki no be leather. These people are brutal just like all those fraudster that enjoy creating pains in others

Across Nigeria today, a growing number of young people are beginning to question the value of university education. Slangs such as “education is a scam” are becoming increasingly popular in both online and offline conversations. This sentiment is often driven by the stark disconnect between academic qualifications and real-world practical demands, particularly in a country grappling with high unemployment and economic instability.

A recent viral video on TikTok captured this frustration vividly. In the video, a student stood in front of a university building labeled Faculty of Engineering, lamenting that the faculty’s generator was faulty and had remained unrepaired. What stood out was the student’s anger that, despite the presence of professors of Mechanical Engineering in the department, no one had fixed the generator. This was presented as evidence that formal education, particularly in engineering, is of no practical value. While this frustration is emotionally valid and understandable, it reveals a widespread misunderstanding of the nature and scope of academic education. A university is not a technical workshop, and professors or lecturers are not meant to function as artisans. The core role of a tertiary institution is to train thinkers, researchers, designers, and innovators, not mechanics or electricians. Professors of Mechanical Engineering are experts in areas such as thermodynamics, system optimization, and machine mechanics. Their work revolves around developing models, teaching principles, and conducting research, not repairing faulty generators. Expecting a professor to fix a generator is akin to expecting a medical professor to perform manual labour in a clinic or a civil engineering professor to lay bricks. These professionals understand the science behind such tasks better than most, but their responsibilities differ significantly from those of field technicians. This is why universities employ technologists, artisans, and technical support staff to manage infrastructure-related issues.

That said, the disconnection that many students feel cannot be dismissed. Numerous graduates enter the labour market with hope and ambition, only to encounter limited opportunities, delayed job placements, or outright unemployment. This often leads to disillusionment and resentment. However, instead of blaming the idea of education itself, we must examine the root causes: outdated curricula, limited hands-on training, poor synergy between academia and industry, and an economy that struggles to absorb its growing workforce.

It is also important to remember that innovation often begins in academia. Many of the technologies we enjoy today, such as artificial intelligence, smartphones, and computer software, were made possible through academic research. For instance, ChatGPT is based on a model called the Transformer, introduced in a 2017 research paper titled “Attention is All You Need” by researchers at Google. Though commercialized by industry, its roots are deeply academic. So, before you undermine the role of your professors or lecturers, remember that they are often the ones who formulate the very theories that drive the tools, devices, and platforms you use daily.

This illustrates a critical truth: while industry may build the final products, it is academic institutions that often supply the ideas, breakthroughs, and foundational principles that make those innovations possible.

This leads to a vital question: Who should take responsibility? While reforms in education are necessary, personal responsibility is even more critical. Students must begin to view education not as an end, but as a means, a platform to launch their development. In today’s world, success is not determined solely by academic performance, but by the ability to combine academic knowledge with vocational or entrepreneurial skills. For instance, a mechanical engineering student frustrated about a broken generator should ask: “Have I learned practical skills beyond the classroom? Have I sought real-world applications for what I’ve been taught?”

In truth, no graduate anywhere in the world finishes school as a fully formed expert. Universities provide the foundation; real expertise comes through continuous practice and experience. Take Electrical and Electronic Engineering, for example. Students are introduced to foundation concepts that can aid in learning solar installation, electrical wiring, and machine winding etc. Yet, due to limited time and the breadth of the curriculum, students are not expected to become specialists in every area before graduation.

Although the curriculum touches on many of these areas, it is often impossible for students to gain deep proficiency in all of them due to time constraints, the breadth of academic content, and limited practical exposure.

Ironically, if someone were to go and learn electrical wiring at a roadside workshop or training centre, it would typically take an average of three years to become proficient and confident enough to work independently. Yet, in Nigeria, we often expect university or polytechnic graduates to become “instant experts” in four or five years, while covering ten times more subjects ranging from mathematics and control systems to communications and digital electronics.

This is why students must adopt a hybrid approach. Learn a trade. Gain hands-on experience. Engage in internships, private apprenticeships, online training, and entrepreneurship. Broaden your scope beyond the classroom. That is how true competence is built.

Ultimately, your lecturers and professors are not responsible for your personal success. They are there to teach, mentor, and guide, but it is your responsibility to apply what you have learned, to innovate, and to make yourself relevant to society. Blaming the educational system or its personnel for one’s lack of initiative is often a sign of laziness or misplaced priorities.

In conclusion, the viral TikTok video may seem humorous at first, but it reflects a deep misunderstanding of how education works. Education is not a scam. It is a tool, a means to an end. If the system has limitations, bridge the gap with your effort. If opportunities are limited, create your own. Learn, adapt, evolve, and grow.

Remember: It is not what you are taught that determines your success, but what you choose to do with what you’ve been taught. Your future is not in the hands of your professors, it is in yours. Take charge of it.

Sirleo05:
Are we importing crude? No. So why is d international price come take concern us.


It is not 2 our advantage dat we have oil. Why do we need 2 sell to refiners here @ international rate?.

If gonmet is serious, dey should 4 d people sell crude oil to local refinery @ a lower rate , lower dam d international price. Dat way we can den have lower fuel price, and not war going on between Thieves like NNPCL and GOD bless DANGOTE

Even though Dangote Refinery has been refining crude oil here in Nigeria, we’re not yet out of the woods when it comes to fuel prices. The refinery is still ramping up and hasn’t fully met the country’s demand for petrol and other products. That means we still rely partly on imported refined fuel.

Also, crude oil prices are set on the global market. So when there’s a conflict or disruption elsewhere in the world, like a war,it can push up prices everywhere, including Nigeria.

To make matters worse, we still trade heavily in dollars, and with the naira being weak, it makes everything, from importing fuel to running refineries,more expensive.

Until we’re able to meet our fuel needs locally and stabilize our currency, global events will continue to affect what we pay at the pump, no matter where the refinery is located.

CoronaVirusPro:
He bought land and built a house with 200m in what location? Cos it’s not feasible. A 200m house can not generate a 30m for you yearly, Except it’s in a commercial hub, where the land will be almost same price with the house.

They just dish out lies because they are not real landlord. Most landlords knows where it pains.Residential houses are not profitable business only use to tie money down for future. I and my sisters inherited 4 bedrooms flat after our father demise over 20years ago, till now is still one maintenance one after the other , tenant s don't even pay on time, story upon story. If not for commercial like renting it to churches or any other businesses forget about it , you're just helping humanity by doing charity for tenant. I'm even regretting building two flats for my family, with the purpose of renting one out to tenant but just locked it up because of wahala from tenant

AI will transform every sector from manufacturing to teaching but if not regulated humanity will soon experience advanced calamity from human misuse. History shows that every great advancement from nuclear energy, the internet, even electricity needed moral, legal, and social frameworks. AI should be no exception. Nigeria Government need to sit tight to formulate laws against misuse

The moderator suppose to ban all those promoter of ponzi like scheme on nairaland. Many life savings must have been lost. Nairaland moderator should try to sanitize this platform so that innocent people won't be falling for all these schemes being promoted here

DIVINEEVIDENCE:
As much as I support the preservation of our cultural heritage, I think the government at all levels needs to toe the line of Soludo in crushing the extreme aspects of the African Traditional Religion.

Human life is sacred and supreme and should come first before culture and tradition.

By the way, what stopped the community from mounting spies and security around the area since they already discovered a routine?

It would have been nicer if those ritualists were caught red-handed.

Just a simple solar IP camera would have solved this mysteries. I don't know why we Nigerians don't apply simple technology where necessary

Hmmmmm2024:
my parents did not train me to be a thief

So, the victim was groomed to become a thief? You're still young and inexperienced. In today's Nigeria, just pray you don’t find yourself in an unforeseen situation—you’ll realize the police often don’t care whether you’re innocent or not.

Hmmmmm2024:
Shut up...in as much as we sympathize with you, don't bring some stupid lies here . You and one other went to steal in the house of a police man, you guys went with a sword and a local made gun...but you guys were only able to steal Chicken from his poultry...you guys were arrested and taking to court...as far the law is concerned, the judgment was in line only that the judgement was too extreme. Considering the fact that you were a teenager then, the judge should have given a lighter punishment...

The gun was for what ?

We're you there when he stole the chicken with Dane gun. Oloruburuku somebody. I pray you experience what this boy have experienced in life. Anyone who had never experienced failed judiciary system will talk as if things are normal here. Nigeria judiciary is a complete failed system with high level of corruption. Most of those judges are criminals and most are even worse than our politicians

Goodlyhrt:
My parents tried to raise us in the way that most Christian homes would go.. In the way of the Lord! And all the associated activities of going to Church all Sundays, ignoring all other associations as they are perceived as being unequally yoked with unbelievers. Adhering to all doctrines of the church no questions.

I was raised in this type of environment. In short my parents were staunch members of the Deeper Life Christian Ministries (DLCM) and all my formative years where under the doctrines and teachings of the church.

My parents and the Church taught me to put all my hope in the Lord in all situations and never to complain much because God will make a way even at the dieing minutes.

So I grew up weary of my non church going environment. I wouldn't find myself being a social animal that I am working aggressively hard on becoming nowadays.

So I made church friends, and went to church gatherings, church schools right until my secondary school days.

But there is a catch.

I watched my family falter and we lost everything we had. My father went down with diabetes around 2008 and nobody to help. He lost his carpentry workshop and showroom.. almost lost his life to the disease.

The Church, my church DLCM couldn't offer us good help because they too were individually waiting on the Lord too. So they offered us help but meager.

But that was the only gathering we knew and are aquatinted with.

No Umunna membership, ordinary friends gathering or in another word Friends club. Even market association, my parents never belonged to any of those.

We solely waited on the Lord and around 2011, my dad's diabetes was somehow controlled. Thanks to my Uncle in the village who came to our rescue by using herbs and leaves to help my dad. But not without enough convincing and lobbying from my uncle because my parents saw the help as being fetish of some sort.

In fact at that time we were not in talking terms with the said uncle because of his native practices. But at the end of the day he came to our rescue through the herbs he gave to my dad.

What I am saying is that my parents lifestyle of being too churchy in the way the raised us has been net detrimental in my life as a grown man and to my siblings too.

Talking about me. I didn't finish my education due to my dad's health and the fact that there's no one that could help me who my dad is aquainted with. My social skills is zero until recently. I didn't know how to deal with anybody outside talking about church related stuff and academic stuff I was lost.

So I am on this situation all thanks to my parents way of life of being too judgemental of everything not church related.

In short right now I don't how to keep a healthy relationship - you know calling to check up on someone, buying gifts, attending birthdays and all those stuffs that make knowing people interesting. I am just trying to pick these stuffs up from the street now.


And it hasn't helped in any way.

I think it has brought untold hardship to our lives in the sense that we suffer alone with no one to help. Not uncle's, not friends because we hardly make friends. In those days I wondered why no one visits my parents at home while all our neighbors hosted visitors almost all day especially on Sundays. Unless we are hosting Bible study session.

The simple truth is that no one should exist alone in this plane Earth. We were never built to survive alone and my parents and the church were all wrong.

So I stopped going to church totally. I hated my life how it has turned out and wish I could've made my own decisions earlier in life.

Of a truth I started dodging church activities very early in my teen years but I met stiff rebuttal from my dad. You know the "if I don't see you in church blah blah blah no school fees for you blah blah blah".

Because I started noticing something was off.

They said God answered prayers but I couldn't get answers to mine. I could remember one time in the DLCM camp ground. I prayed earnestly to be healed of my deformity, seeing that others got theirs and I was moved and cried sore for God to heal me. Even made promises to God if he proves his faithfulness. But it seemed the blessings from pastor Kumuyi would never get to me.

I was depressed and got angered.

Starting from then, my prayer life took a dive. Interest in the things of the church tanked.

Also my dad's ill fortune and how we suffered to eat most times during that time, made me question God and doubtful in everything.

In conclusion. We are never going to survive alone as species. We all need US in our lives.

I have started opening up to non church related associations lately. I even joined another church howbeit a modern church if you know what I mean. But now, I joined the church with a purpose. Not because I like going there but because I needed the connections there.

In the Bible it says that we should worship God with understanding but most non-orthodox denominations don't understand a thing.

My message to everyone.

Go out there and be aquainted with your fellow humans. Don't listen to religion and its backwater ideologies because we can't survive alone.

Join a political party, know some force men and become friends. Go to events with the sole aim of meeting new people.

Attend seminars and be active in the society.

A little appraisal of the Yoruba people. In the way some of them practice the Abrahamaic religion. They don't go overboard like the Northerners because of Islam or as strict as the Easterners, my people, in the way they practice Christianity. I stayed in Lagos for upto six years and I was initially confused in the way they practiced the Abrahamaic religions but now I understand better and I am in love with their way in that aspect.

Lastly be wise in your association with people. I.e. avoid secret societies or cult groups because although they'd promise you protection but it's all a lie.

I want to add this.

I learnt this from a pastor.

He said that the reason why Africa is suffering and is in great poverty is because we don't have more partnership businesses.

People have really nice business ideas but no one to sponsor them because African people are not inclined to form partnership so they don't know how to handle it.

In Europe or "the West", many people live off their investment in numerous business partnerships. No matter how little the business they invest in it and get it working good and then get ROI. Even when they are not actively employed or run their own personal business. But they are getting ROI from the investment in other people's businesses.

I think this is true though.

Sorry for the long read.

Anything investment in Nigeria through any acclaimed partnership or any other thing will end as a scam. Don't believe in any partnership with any Nigerian, I won't mention black since I've never been to any other black dominated country. Even the so called religious leader are out there to better their life not in the interest of those they claim to guide for heavenly blessings. Deeper life is a cultist organisation. I won't say more than this.
Nigeria is a cursed country, where all kinds of evil are perpetrated without any conscience or severe punishment so if you have any business idea, develop it by yourself else Nigerians will eventually reap you off.

stagger:
A bag of new hope feed is 27,000. That's N1,080 per kilo of feed.
A chicken of 6-7 weeks will consume 4.85kg of feed minimum. So 500 chickens will eat about 2,245 kg of feed, which is N2,619,000.
Feed alone ooo!

A day old chick (Agrited) bought 7 weeks ago for rearing against Christmas was sold at N1750. Something we used to buy at N280 before BAT came. So if you buy 500 Agrited chicks, you would have spent 875,000. Some of those chicks will surely not make it to maturity. Some will eat your feed for 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and then give up the ghost.

Then you have vaccines, medications, you have to buy fuel, wood shavings, etc. Then you will pay your workers. Assuming you have 2 guys on minimum wage, that is N140,000. Multiply by two months, because that is how long it takes to raise, then market your chickens before sale. That's N280,000.

You can do the Maths. Next year, feed will be costing N40,000 a bag. The maize harvest this year was poor because of flooding. The flood that took over Borno state destroyed a vast amount of maize farms and stores.

You Nigerians do not know what you are in for in 2025. Some will start to eat lizards and frogs and rat meat for Christmas.

Eat lizard, rat, frog kee. Are you cursing Nigerians? Nigerians are passing through tough time in the history of Nigeria , so don't put more curse on them

[quote author=abbati19 post=133015444][/quote]The terms "lack of culture of maintenance" and "culture of lack of maintenance" both highlight issues related to maintenance practices in Nigeria, but they differ in focus and implications. Here's an explanation and differentiation:

1. Lack of Culture of Maintenance

This phrase refers to a systemic absence of maintenance as a regular and ingrained practice in society. It implies that maintenance is not part of the norm or value system, and there is no structured approach to ensuring the longevity of infrastructure, machinery, or systems.
Key Characteristics:

Systemic Neglect: Maintenance is not prioritized in policies or practices.

Planning Failure: Maintenance activities are not planned or budgeted for, leading to reactive rather than proactive maintenance.

Cultural Gap: People do not see maintenance as essential, often waiting for complete breakdowns before taking action.

Example: Roads, public buildings, and utilities in Nigeria often fall into disrepair due to a lack of regular maintenance culture.


2. Culture of Lack of Maintenance

This phrase goes a step further, suggesting that the absence of maintenance is a habitual or entrenched norm. It implies a deeper societal acceptance or tolerance for poor maintenance practices as a way of life.
Key Characteristics:

Entrenched Behavior: The failure to maintain is normalized and perpetuated across generations.

Resistance to Change: Efforts to introduce a maintenance culture face societal or institutional resistance because people are accustomed to living with dilapidation.

Blame and Excuses: There is often an attitude of deflecting responsibility, leading to continued neglect.

Example: Public institutions that consistently ignore broken facilities or equipment, treating the dysfunction as "normal."

harizonal123:
Pls who can recommend a
cheap hotel in lugbe around Obasanjo centre where one can lodge

Try federal housing . Hotel there are cheap . Try Richie guest inn, lugbe . It's inside federal housing . You can call 09064028394. That's the place I lodged when I went for the coren exam in August. I paid 15k . Please do your investigation very well before you book their hotel room. I'm not recommending them but they have a nice room and was treated well then

ENGANI:
I personally congratulate you Engr acorn tree for the milestone.
As someone who wrote and passed coren exam and interview recently under electrical engineering pls and pls help me some hints regarding exams and oral interview.
If you don't mind DM me on 08103602174 or you give me your number. I am writing in February 2025 God willing

There are two sections in the exam,
Section A. Question on Engineer in the society
which is compulsory for everybody.
For the exam we were asked to Explain and differentiate between lack of culture of maintenance and culture of lack of maintenance in Nigeria.

Section B. Three Questions to test knowledge of 1. Electrical knowledge
2. Electronics knowledge
3. Computer Engineering knowledge
You will pick anyone you like

I picked the one on electronic.
The Questions are 1. What are Rectifiers
2.Explain and mention different types of rectifiers
3. And one other question which I can't remember

Oral defence

You will present your certified binded project writeup. There is mark for
1. Dressing
2. Current affairs
3. Follow coren writeup format, marks will be awarded based on what they want like safety standard, Bills of Engineering Materials(BEM )etc
3 Questions will be asked based on what you presented in the write up. Like where do you work. What's your duties, roles etc

Don't present voluminous project writeup like PhD thesis o. Just present a writeup up to 10- 30 pages.

Those that will register as Electrical Engineer, Electronic Engineer and Computer Engineer will write the same exam.

The questions are generally basic ,not difficult not too technical or theoretical. No mobile phone will be allowed in the exam center

Exam started at exactly 9:00, after registration
Oral interview start immediately after written test .The atmosphere is cool and no one will fail anybody if you follow their instructions. The interviewers are generally friendly.
Ensure your project write up is endorsed (with seal) by two coren registered engineer. even those not in your field can endorsed it