The Nigerian undergraduates are, supposedly, the harbingers and custodians of colossal sustainable development within and outside the Nigerian society. This is owing to the scintillating fact that the education of youngsters is determined by what the society deems fit for teaching and learning at all levels of the educational institutions. In other words, education upholds the culture of a given society in which it is established. Having asserted this, one may not be misleading another by saying that the education of a Nigerian undergraduate is rather pathetic, awry and alarming. Education has completely lost its savour, and the purpose for which it was established has been jettisoned. The societal sanity which is supposed to be anchored upon education is waning very fast.
According to the Justice of the Supreme Court of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice Andrews Otutu Obaseki: “A university student is a priceless asset on the threshold of world of youthful service to his nation. We cannot afford to stigmatize him with the guilt of offense except proved in the Court of Law”. The glaring fact here is that a university student is a priceless asset, but it remains arguable today. This is because, an average Nigerian undergraduate has been subjected to what is commonly referred to as the “garbage in, garbage out” mechanism. The situation is highly disheartening. Nowadays, lecturers are being studied in lieu of books. They no longer do researches; but they teach what they themselves have learnt since aeon. Consequently, students are left with no other choice than to write what the lecturers taught them during external and internal examinations.
A closer observation of these breeds of Nigerian undergraduates would expose you to a shocking revelation. You would hear them exposing their vacant knowledge like the mastery of emptiness in concrete matters, displaying the courageous arrogance of an ignoramus. Some of the enormously disjointed and disoriented grammars they speak include: “I am a graduate by BSc and by computing Science; I want to get my job to better my Africa”. You would also hear them saying: “How much is your paint Tapioca? Sell it come”. This shows that education in Nigeria is in a woeful state and it seeks, vehemently, attention. If a drastic action is not taken to revitalize the educational system, I wonder what the spate of corruption and the state of Nigeria would be in 2050. Education has been totally messed up and the situation is poignant. This has been blamed on corruption which has infiltrated every part of Nigeria.
In the bid to force their children on the society, some rich parents “buy” admissions into the universities for their children irrespective of whether they are teachable or not. The ability for some children to learn is a will-o’-the-wisp; this is the bane of malpractice-free examinations witnessed in all parts of the country today. Some university students go as far as offering brides to their lecturers to obtain good grades. It is so sickening to note that a good number of students are suffering from lecturers’ sheer hatred, no matter how they try to please the lecturers, they must have to battle with lower grades. It is of moment, also, to note that most lecturers were, in their university days, second-class graduates and as such they are economical with the Issuance of first-class certificates to the students that merit it.
It is, therefore, important for the government to overhaul the educational system of the Nation. There is need to evaluate the level of standardization attained in the educational sector. Students’ Right should be revisited and consolidated to allow for equity and justice for both the lecturers and students. Although, no idea is completely novel in the world, students should be encouraged to carry out researches to better understand and appreciate what they have learnt as well as to expand the frontiers of learning in the society. The engineering students should be encouraged to develop their engineering skills as this will help Nigeria to become a producing nation. Total restructuring of the educational system should be embarked upon to guarantee standardization, and eradication of semi-literacy in our universities.
