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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has described the educational backwardness of northern Nigeria as self-imposed despite years of enjoying privileges as ‘educationally less advantaged states’.
Speaking at public presentation of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) document for Nigerian universities and a book in his honour, yesterday, in Abuja, he said he was unhappy that many people are kept in “darkness” of ignorance because of culture and religion in the north.
He said: “The north is in self-imposed educational backwardness. This is simply because the interest of the north is Islam, and fortunately, Islam is the greatest promulgator of knowledge.
“The first two universities in the world were established by Muslim women. Regrettably, people in northern Nigeria are using Islam to keep women at home. I think it does not make sense.”
He made reference to one Fatima Al-Fihri (sic), a woman-Muslim who established the first university in the world in In 859 AD, long before Italian, Oxford, Cambridge universities were established. That university is still in existence in Morocco.
He added: “About 100 years after that one, another university was established being the second university in the world before the universities of Europe, in Cairo, and just like the first one, this university was established by a Muslim woman, Fatimatu Zahara (sic).”
He appreciated the current efforts to change the narrative in northern Nigeria by opening up the region to formal education which, expectedly, brings light and emancipation of the people.
Adamu commended the National Universities Commission (NUC) for its drive in ensuring the springing up of more private universities in Nigeria, stating that NUC’s effort is paying off with the establishment of more of such institutions in northern Nigeria in recent times.
The Minister was, however, happy that out of the 37 new private universities approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, large number of them are situated in the northern Nigeria.
He was also optimistic that the newly launched curriculum would go a long way in adding value to graduates being churned out from Nigerian universities.
“We must continue to ensure that graduates from Nigeria universities are equipped with needed skills, knowledge and expertise in order to succeed in the 21st century.
“We must consistently strive to improve our educational programmes, and learning with the reality of global best practices. The CCMAS document is aimed at achieving this goal”, he said.
Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, in his remarks commended the minister for several achievements recorded under his watch, especially in the area of universities development.
Prof. Rasheed confirmed that the number of private universities in Nigeria had risen to 148, and was happy that 87 or 60 percent came during Adamu Adamu as Minister of Education.
Prof. Rasheed also described CCMAS as a game changer in Nigerian universities, and commended former NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, for his role in the developing the curriculum, describing him as chief architect of the curriculum.
