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Onuora Nweke
SUCCESS is not usually dependent on one’s accurate choice alone; but rather on a number of choices and factors as one journeys through life. Particularly, one’s choice of university to attend, discipline or area of specialization, or grade does not determine how successful one becomes in life. Even the country one studies alone, makes no difference in determining the degree of one’s influence, relevance or success in life. Instead man depends on these factors in their intermingling relationship as well as providence, because “time and chance happen to them all.” Nevertheless, the nature/nurture controversy makes it evidential that environmental factors are inevitable components in the preparation for life challenges. Care must therefore be taken in determining the kind of exposure given to people whose shoulders the future of any society would rest.
Historically speaking, people like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Michael Enahoro, Francis Akanu Ibiam, and others distinguished themselves during the anti-colonialist struggle because they were equipped to do so by the type of intellectual exposure they had. They made incontrovertible contributions towards Nigeria’s independence, through intellectual doggedness; their fearless and courageous dispositions because in growing up, they sat and stood one on one with the best in the world. So, there was nothing to act as inhibiting factors to their psychological constitution. Nnamdi Azikiwe among other places studied in the University of Penusylvania; Obafemi Awolowo was trained first at the London School of Economics, London; Anthony Enahoro equally was in London, Washington, Belfast, Dublin, for his parliamentary trainings. The truth is that these Nigerians are not the only Nigerians at the forefront of agitation for Nigeria’s independence, but these people’s names will remain indelible in the annals of the history of this country. Their international exposure made the difference. There are still Nigerians who distinguished themselves as great achievers in various fields having been bred completely in Nigeria, but the prominence of their exceptional achievements are accentuated through trainings, conferences, post-doctoral programmes and workshops abroad.
Not only in politics. In other fields of human endeavour, the names that still ring bell today in Nigeria in different fields are of people ‘whose bread were baked in the oven of the best bakery in the world’. In the legal profession, the story of its burgeoning is incomplete without names like F.R.A. Williams who in 1943 was called to Bar to the Gray’s Inn.
The first Nigeria’s Chartered Accountant is also Akintola Williams and the first Doctor of Philosophy Degree holder in Mathematics is Chike Obi, and these men are men of history. In our contemporary times and in different professions and fields are successful administrators like the Vice Chancellors of our numerous universities; the financial moguls both in the public and private sectors, great economists and financial experts; the Charles Soludos; the Okonjo Iwealas, the Sanusi Lamido Sanusis, the Pat Utomis; the Obi Ezekwesilis; and so many than this little piece can contain. All these have had their intellectual teeth cut outside the shores of this country.
So many other Nigerians may have been there, but these names are always outstanding. Show me any product of local inbreeding and his name does not sound as loud as those of these special people with some stint abroad.
This piece is simply advocating the need for our younger ones and those better endowed intellectually as well as fledgling academics to be given international exposure. It is not to denigrate our intellectual institutions; neither is the intention to discourage the acquisition of knowledge from them. Our universities for instance have stood the test of time, and proven their mettle at the international fora, considering the contributions of their academics in international conferences. Sometimes they are only limited by the responses of the government of the day to educational matters. Rather, the intention of this article is to highlight the contemporaneous necessity for any society that must compete in the global market which today’s world has become. Nigerian politicians are well aware of this and they are preparing their children to take over the reins of leadership in different sectors of Nigeria’s polity and sector. Recently, the international media and other forms of information dissemination were awash with photographs and video coverage of the graduation ceremonies of many of Nigeria’s leaders’ children all in foreign universities. These Nigeria’s leaders ranged from Yemi Osibanjo, Adams Oshiomole, Ike Ekweremadu, Rochas Okorocha, Dave Umahi just to mention a few.
One would then ask why these people who are at the helm of affairs at the highest level in this country do not seem to have confidence in the Nigeria’s education system. Some have even argued that the comatose state of education in Nigeria is a deliberate succession strategy by the leaders in favour of their children; while the children whose parents cannot afford to send them abroad remain ‘the wretched of the earth’, destined to serve as ‘hewers of wood and drawers of water’ to the privileged class.
But some Nigerian Universities have risen up to the occasion and have as a matter of policy decided to always retain First Class Honours products as beginning academics and to subsequently send them for further studies outside this country. The intention is to always give them international exposure, where they are expected to go, see and internalize and appropriate both the intellectual content and acumen of the hosts, as well as return to re-invent and revolutionize the intellectual and socio-cultural atmosphere in Nigeria and beyond.
They are expected to imbibe the spirit of courage and boldness with which they would confront the hydra-headed challenges confronting the Nigerian society. This would be possible because they would have been exposed to the best international practices in their different fields of study from countries whose education systems are taken more seriously by their governments; that can invest hugely to get the best for their educational sectors.
There is no contending the fact that the canons and standards have always been set outside our shores. Most Nigerians seem to meet their destinies abroad.
To be concluded tomorrow
Dr. Nweke, Associate Professor, writes from Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State.
