ANALYSIS: WAEC rating highlights dwindling fortunes of education in South-west Nigeria

Historically, western education entered the country through the South-west of Nigeria. The colonial authorities initially concentrated their activities in the Lagos area before moving down south along the coastal cities.

They were not at the time involved in the operation and funding of education. Scholars have suggested that formal western education began in Nigeria in 1842 at the primary level through the efforts of Christian missions. Secondary education was subsequently introduced. The first secondary school was CMS Grammar School, established in 1859 in Lagos.

It has been well documented that the colonial government only began its involvement in education after it promulgated its first Education Ordinance in 1882 when it began the funding of public schools and gave assistance to private ones. The difficulty in its implementation led to the enactment of the second Ordinance in 1887. This ordinance was said to have covered only schools in Lagos at the time.

Also, 73 years after the establishment of the first secondary school in Lagos, the first higher institution in Nigeria, Yaba Higher College, was established in 1932. The University College, Ibadan followed shortly in 1934.

Undoubtedly, the region had a head start in educational development compared to other regions of the country. This was further buoyed by the Universal Primary Education Policy of the then Premier of Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo, which offered free education for children in primary schools starting from 1955. Besides providing children of poor background access to quality education, it underscored the intrinsic value of education, which subsequently stimulated and facilitated the mass education of the population.

From Lagos to Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and down to Ekiti, the preponderance of professors and well-read academicians benchmarks the solid foundation laid for the education in the region. It is often said (though debatable) that in every home in Ekiti, there is a professor.

However, in a recent analysis, it is apparent that other regions are not only catching up, but might have overtaken the South-west in education.

If there is any doubt in the minds of anyone, the performances of the region in the Senior School Certificate Examinations, SSCE in the last five years showed that South-west states only trail other regions in their well-publicised ratings. In all these years, none of the states, besides Lagos, has made it to the list of top 10 states on the West African Examinations Council, WAEC performance table.

Available statistics of the 2017 SSCE results enumerating states’ performance, showed the South-east states posting brilliant performances. Besides topping the chart, four of the five states made the top 10 list of states.

The dominance of the South-east and South-south states in the WAEC rating in the last five years, raise concerns about the much-touted claims of the South-west as the bastion of education in Nigeria.

However, the South-west states had Lagos as a representative among the top 10 states. It shows Abia, Rivers, and Edo coming tops, with Imo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Lagos, Taraba, Enugu and Delta following in that order.

Besides Lagos that manages to retain its presence in the top 10, the other South-west states remain comfortable either at the rear or at the middle.

In 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 WAEC results, only Lagos featured in the top 10 list of states which continued to be dominated by states from the South-east and South-south.

For instance, in 2015, all the South-east states made it to the top 10 on the chart. While Lagos still retained its place on the list, Ekiti managed to clinch the 11th position on the chart. Ondo came 14th, Ogun, 20th position, Oyo, 27th, while Osun came 30th. The situation was not so different in 2014 chart which saw Ekiti occupying the 12th position. Ondo followed closely on the 13th position, while Ogun moved up to 18, Osun, 22 and Oyo, 24.

The Ekiti State government last year celebrated the improvement of the state on the WAEC performance chart when it moved from the 28th position in 2013 to 11th position in 2016. For the state, its placement on the chart had perhaps bestowed credence on the investment of the governor in education.

Idowu Adelusi, the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Ayo Fayose, had described the feat as “an indication that efforts of the present administration to reposition education in the state were already yielding results.”

He said the governor was particularly happy that no fewer than 37 per cent of the state candidates that sat for WAEC in 2016 had a minimum of five credits including in English and Mathematics while a similar feat was recorded in 2015.

“The mere fact that the state jumped from 35th position to the 11th, barely two years of the coming into office of this administration, is remarkable,” Mr. Adelusi said.

Ekiti State also retained its 11th position in 2017.

However, some have rejected the use of the WAEC chart as an indicator of the true state of education in any state. A top official of the Ogun State government, who did not want his name on print, while defending the situation with education in Ogun, said the conclusion that the south-west states, particularly Ogun, performed dismally compared to other states “was an error.”

According to him, the analyses did not consider the number of candidates for each state before arriving at the conclusion.

He said the rating was based on percentage pass in five subjects at credit level and above. Looking at the performance chart of the 2014 result, Ogun which registered 70,474 candidates was placed 18th. 

It was his reasoning that Ogun in that light should not be compared with states like Bayelsa, ‘which featured 19,930 candidates and placed fourth.’

But such an argument is whittled when the 2014 table is further examined. Even states which registered fewer candidates had higher number of candidates which had five credit passes and above including in Mathematic and English.

For instance, Imo, which placed 8th on the table, registered a total of 46,359 candidates, and had a total of 18,830 candidates with five credits and above including in Mathematics and English. Ogun with 70,474 candidates had a total of 15,974 candidates making the five credit passes and above mark.

It is noteworthy that Ogun State had attracted flaks from many critics in respect of its performance of candidates in the 2016 SSCE.

However, the Special Assistant on Media to the Ogun State Governor, Opeyemi Soyombo, believes such criticisms were unfair and “did not reflect the true state of education and the commitment of Ibikunle Amosun towards restoring the virtue of education in the state.”

He argued that the administration in Ogun was following the steps of Obafemi Awolowo by earmarking over 20 per cent of the state’s budget to education.

He said the government is also operating the free education policy at the primary and secondary levels which had in turn raised the level of enrolment in schools.

“In the 2010/ 2011 session, enrolment figure for JSS was 158,972. Today, through the free education policy of the Amosun government, enrolment figure has shot up to 226,836,” Mr. Soyombo said.

“The figure has increased from 133,997 in 2010/2011 to 172,444 at the SSS level. Due to improvement in our technical education, some children now move from JSS to such schools while the majority proceed to SSS, which is a big plus for our drive in vocational/technical education. Expectedly, performance of our children in WASSCE did improve significantly.”

It was also the view of the Commissioner for Education in Osun State, Kola Young, that the WAEC results do not necessarily represent the true state of education in the states.

He argued that considering the prevalent rate of examination malpractices across the country, it was necessary to analyse the capacity of school leavers to utilise their secondary school certificates.

Mr. Young said that analysts should look at the number of students matriculating in Nigerians universities in reaching conclusions “whether the South-west is lagging behind or not.”

“If I find out that in our universities that the south-west states are lagging behind in terms of the number of students gaining admissions, then I will be alarmed,” he said.

“But if the South-west is still leading, then I will have doubts about the capacity of the other states to check exam malpractices.”

He, however, added that he would need to have all the data to be able to reach a final conclusion on it.

Seinde Arogbofa, an educationist and author told PREMIUM TIMES that the dwindling fortunes of education in the region is a function of the lack of prioritisation of the sector by the state governments.

“UNICEF recommended that 26 per cent of the budget be allocated to education. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in his pursuit of ensuring quality education for the people, earmarked over 30 per cent of his budget to education. That was the reason why he succeeded so much,” he said.

“Today, the state governments hardly give up to 10 per cent to education in their states; they place little value on education.”

He also blamed the poor reading culture for the dismal performance of students in the examinations, saying, “How can students pass when they don’t read?”

Mr. Arogbofa also criticised parents for not doing enough to raise their children well, and condemned their support for exam malpractices. He also had some kind words for state governments.

“To say that the South-west governments are not doing anything at all to improve education will amount to an overkill and over generalisation. Some states such as Ondo, Osun and Ogun had taken novel steps to re-establish the foundations of education in their respective domains. However, the fruits of these recent ventures would only be noticeable in the far future.”

Much of what is seen as the legacies of a visionary leadership bequeathed by Mr. Awolowo and which is still being harnessed today as the capacities of the South-west region was sown decades ago.

For South-west states, they may have to learn from Mr. Awolowo’s saying that, “As far as possible, expenditure on services which tend to the welfare and health and education of the people should be increased at the expense of any expenditure that does not answer to the same test.”

The sage’s pivotal economic and education polices transformed the entire South-west of Nigeria, making it a leading light not only in education, but in other areas of development. Governors in the region will need to re-enact past glories in bringing education to a place of priority, not only in access, but in quality

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/242266-analysis-waec-rating-highlights-dwindling-fortunes-education-south-west-nigeria.html

The Nigeria Police Force said it had arrested eight suspected kidnappers of five students of Ahmadu Bello University, and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, both in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The Force Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this at a news conference
in Abuja on Monday.

He said the suspects were Adamu Mamman, 35, alias master, the gang leader; Ali Rabo, 27, alias blacky, second in command; Shehu Shagari, 27, third in command; and Umar Antijo, 27, informant to the gang.
Others were Auwalu Ahmadu, 27, alias mota; Babangida Abdullahi, 31, receiver of stolen items; Usman Abdulmumuni, 27, receiver; and Ahmadu Abdullahi, 30, also a receiver.

Mr. Moshood said the suspects were also responsible for the abduction of the driver to the chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs.
He added that items recovered from them were three cell phones, four SIM cards, N17,000, cutlasses and two pairs of army uniforms.
The police spokesperson explained that the suspects, who were arrested at different locations, had confessed and stated their roles in the kidnap for ransom on the Kaduna/Abuja highway.
He said many of the rescued victims had also identified the suspects and investigation was ongoing to also know the source of the army camouflage the suspects had.
He pointed out that the arrest followed massive deployment of Special Intervention Forces (SIF) on the highway by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris.

He said the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation, while efforts would be made to sustain the success recorded.
Mr. Moshood urged the public to continue to cooperate and give useful information to the police to prevent crime in the country.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had on June 14, deployed 600 special squad and 90 patrol vehicles to the Abuja-Kaduna road following rampant cases of kidnapping on that route.
(NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/234521-police-arrest-kidnappers-five-nigerian-university-polytechnic-students.html

laurel03:
oyo gt Nigeria brewery.... 2 coca cola plant only in oyo state
7up bottling company...

Educate yourself
http://www.nigerianbottlingcompanyltd.com/Aboutus/Production/Plants/

The Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd (NBC) operates 11 Plants in Nigeria.
The bottling operations in the regions are major purchasers of sugar, bottles, labels, marketing materials and services. At the same time, we play an active role in the local communities with our support and local initiatives.

Abuja Plant

This Plant is located in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and has been in operation since 2006.
Abuja Plant produces Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and also distributes all product categories.

Asejire Plant

NBC has operated the Asejire Plant located in Asejire community of Oyo State in South-West Nigeria since 1983. The Asejire Plant manufactures Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and manages the distribution of all product categories.

Benin Plant

The Benin Plant has functioned since 1970. It is located in Eyaen, Edo State, South-South Nigeria. The Plant is responsible for the production of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and Five Alive and distributes all product categories.

Challawa Plant

NBC’s Challawa Plant is located in the Challawa area of Kano State in North-Central Nigeria. Challawa Plant produces Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and is involved in the distribution of all product categories.

Enugu Plant

In 1975, NBC started its operations from the Enugu Plant located in the capital city of Enugu in Enugu State, South-East Nigeria. Enugu Plant produces Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and handles the distribution of all product categories.

Ikeja Plant

The Ikeja Plant has been functional since 1978. The Plant manages the production of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes, Five Alive and Eva and the distribution of all product categories. Ikeja Plant is in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria.

Jos Plant

NBC’s Jos Plant which has been in operation since 1972. It is located in the capital city of Jos, Plateau State in North-Central Nigeria. The Jos Plant has production lines for Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and it also distributes all product categories.

Maiduguri Plant

The Maiduguri Plant started operations in 1983. Maiduguri, is in Borno State in North-East Nigeria.
The Plant produces and distributes Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and all other product categories.

Kaduna Plant

Operations started in Kaduna in 1978.Kaduna is situated in North-Central Nigeria and the Plant produces and distributes Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and other product categories.

Owerri Plant

Located in the capital city of Owerri in Imo State, the Owerri Plant started its operations in 1982. Owerri Plant runs Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes production lines and distributes all product categories.

Port Harcourt Plant

NBC has been operating the Port- Harcourt Plant since 1973. Located in Rivers State in South-South Nigeria, The Port Harcourt Plant also produces Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes and distributes all product categories.


https://nbplc.com/ourcompany.html#

A sixth brewery, sited at Ama-eke in 9th Mile, Enugu was commissioned and christened Ama Brewery in October 2003. Ama Brewery is today the biggest and most modern brewery in Nigeria.

aktom007:

L.o.l. .. nigerian breweries in oyo is d sec largest in Nigeria.

Ama Brewery in Enugu is the largest brewery in Nigeria

"A sixth brewery, sited at Ama-eke in 9th Mile, Enugu was commissioned and christened Ama Brewery in October 2003. Ama Brewery is today the biggest and most modern brewery in Nigeria."

https://nbplc.com/ourcompany.html#

nurshah:




Guy hold on ... Call spade a spade... Certain crimes are peculiar to a certain the ibe due to their greed for money and make money quick syndrome...
And that is just it....it has nothing to do with tribalism ..their communities place emphasis on hitting it big and practically worship you if you are rich ...especially if you travel to "obodo Igbo"

Sorry to disappoint you dude but the DSS report says otherwise

People should realize by now that crime has no race or tribe.
I have seen all sorts of hate and bigotry poured out on social media after the arrest of Evans the criminal kingpin. Many saw it as an opportunity to bash a particular tribe, but here we have a report detailing the top ten kidnappers arrested this year alone and one would think that names like Chukwuemeka, Obinna, Chukwudi etc will dominate the roll call but surprise! surprise!

SalamRushdie:


That a a viper ..a grown diamond back gaboon to be precise

Bros take it easy, nothing like a diamond back gaboon the snake is a gaboon viper the snake referred to as diamond back is called western diamond back rattlesnake found mainly in North America

bakynes:

Be deceiving yourself, so all igbo lands cost above 10million naira. I bow for your lies, you be expert in lies.

Do you need a pair of glasses? like you didn't see where I said that is the price in the city metro. You cannot and I repeat CANNOT get a plot of land cheaper than N10m in Enugu town. You can get cheaper rates like N5m and above just off the main town, this is also the case in Owerri though Enugu is more priced at the moment but both cities are a mega construction zone at the moment.
Like they say "landlord travel and see"

bakynes:
You are just making excuses for the Igbos hostile nature, nobody is saying there are No Yoruba's at all in the East. We are asking you what Local govt in the East will you find other Nigerian tribes dominate? . There are just a few Yoruba's scattered all over the SE they do not have the numbers to form a community.

I am aware you guys don't sell Lands to other Nigerian tribes except they get approval through the state govt.

Hostile ko, hostile ni

Folks like you have probably never crossed your region so you feed off garbage from pained fellows.

Now let me school you a bit... Now grab a chair and sit down

Question: Why do people move from one place to another (Nigeria in context)?
Answer: They do so for many reasons but mainly due to trade and commerce, affordable cost of living, comfort, job etc

When you find people of other extraction moving to a different enclave then one of the factors mentioned above may be the reason. There are a lot of Hausas in Igboland, they are probably the tribe with the highest population in Igboland outside the natives and it is majorly a unique trade that brings them to the east which is livestock trade. They live together in large numbers and even form an Hausa community in every state they find themselves.
I don't know the Hausas to be people who come into another state and aquire lands, their artisans and traders hardly even rent apartments from the host communities, they prefer to live in the Hausa community or sleep in the Mosque.

Apart from livestock business where the Hausas are undisputed dominants, the Igbos are involved in any other form of trade, business or services that is needed in the south east and trust me the Igbos are always very good at what they do so its easy to get intimidated by their audacity in business. Like someone rightly observed, the south east is like a major construction zone now and most of the skilled labourers are from the south west, we even prefer to use them instead of the Igbos. Just yesterday I drove to a building site in Enugu where I saw some lovely south african brick job, I enquired about the person who did the job cos I wanted to do a similar job in my ongoing building project, guess what, it was Tunde that was the tiler for the gigantic mansion.

I don't know where you and some uninformed bunch get this information about Igbos not selling lands not non-igbos, this is very comical. Again let me try to explain; I have just described the nature of the Hausas and how that they do not really buy and develop lands outside their place, this is not just in SE but everywhere else including Lagos.
In some SE states, the average price of a plot of land in the city metro is between N10m - N50m to get cheaper lands, you have to go further into the hinterlands and in some states you cant get less than N5m. An average Yoruba man will tell you that he will buy 10 acres of land in Oshobgo with that amount of money but the Igbos are buying it at that rate in the SE and every other region. I was in Abuja earlier this month and I was amazed at what I saw. So bro, come to Enugu or Owerri with not less than N10m and see if you will not be given a land.

Regardless of all I mentioned, there are Yorubas and other tribes living happily in the SE, some even do not want to leave.

Gochyz:


Thanks alot for the heads up. I don't think he did any geographical analysis before drilling proper. Guess I'll have to keep pumping out like he said to see if it eventually gets clean. But if I don't get any positive results, then I'll probably need to hire a more experienced person to finish the job.

"finish the job" you say? If the well is not properly drilled you may have to abandon it and drill a fresh well.

gabby53:
...a big scam! Why can't you just Google? Mumu mugu

Oh please help me out I'm ignorant, what does google say? I'm calling you out Mr

holocron:


You guys are earning profit now. But the ultimate loosers will be the many at the base of the pyramid at the end. Watch and see. Experience is the best teacher.

Ok Sir, we haf heard you but I hate to burst your bubble Sir....WE ARE NOT STOPPING...Deal with it already!!!

nafresh:
Ponzi scheme does not have to have central account. It is any business whose payment is not based on any business but collecting money from one mugu to pay the last maga.

It is the height of moral corruption that people tell themselves lies and hope that that will find another idiot to carry the last lap and lose their money.

My challenge still stands. Give us the address of your MMM and see whether EFCC will not raid it within one week.

Copy and past e the account number and see whether it will not be closed for money laundering.

Sir I have some questions for you:
where do banks get the money to keep giving out loans?

What will happen if all depositors stop depositing their money in the banks?

What is the major business banks do?

Do you know what fractional reserve system means, if yes please tell us?

If every depositor suddenly wanted their cash from a particular bank, what happens to that bank?

nafresh:
[s]We are all aware that Ponzi schemes and illegal money paramids are banned in Nairaland
.

[Don't promote shady investments like betting, HYIP, MLM, FOREX, binary options, and cryptocurrencies on Nairaland.

Yet they find various ways to keep coming back to publisize their nefarious activities

CBN has said it is illegal

SEC has said it is illegal.

EFCC has said it is illegal.

If they are not illegal, let them publish their address and see if they will not be raided within one week.

If your miracle money multiplier is legit, go and get license from CBN.

It is not enough to say there is "no guarantee" or " let the buyer beware".

If they are allowed here, it is like 419 scam mails, some ignorant mugu will still fall for their scam and lose his or her life savings ..

Let the moderators help to keep this forum clean and eliminate MMM

They must be banned.[/s]

You sound so much like an embittered envious soul who probably can't stand seeing his neighbor who is presently benefiting from MMM.
Anyways, no time to waste on you unless you can bring a reasonable argument on why you label MMM a ponzi scheme.