EDUCATION IS A SCAM

Where did Nigeria get it wrong as a nation. This is a question that will birth different responses from different people and they’ll all have different points of view. One of the most spoken words on the streets of Lagos is that “education is a scam” should this statement be considered as a fact or a misunderstanding of the word education. Why should anyone consider education as a scam? Is it?

Should education and enlightenment be used interchangeably as it has always been used? Another important question is that can one only get educated within the four walls of a classroom? How does education affect national building? How does education affect the future of our dear country, Nigeria? Who can be termed or referred to as an educated person? Should one be considered as being educated just because you can speak English or are there other traits and character to consider?

The Nigeria Punch newspaper published as at the 8th of September 2023 that the Nigerian education outlook is still poor. Statistics has it documented that the level of literacy in Nigeria is still very low pegged at 63% in comparison to other countries. The question to consider is why hasn’t these statistics changed over the years.

We can write a very long list spelling out the problems facing Nigeria but who actually has the solutions and where did we get it wrong. Where did we miss it? Did corruption and selfishness start all of a sudden? The answer is NO.
The truth is that what ever happened or did not happen started from our mindset. Some people have sold their twisted mindset on this subject matter to others who bought the narrative and soon it became a slogan on the streets in Nigeria the “education is a scam”.
Our mindset must change. We must undergo a process of learning, unlearning and relearning. I am certain that the beginning of the change we want to see will start from our mindset. We need to educate our minds.

Many won’t agree with my submission but I wish to put it out there that the declining state of Nigeria education system is one of the major causes of Nigeria’s current predicament.  Where are the guardians of education? Why have we traded our values for sweeties? Why have we all become so greedy that we want the resources of the whole world for ourselves.? Why can we be creative and constructive to solve problems?
Is the saying true that nothing good can come out of Africa? Are we all demon incarnates? It’s time we show the world that the assumptions about African and Nigerians are not true but how can we do that when we cannot trust each other to be faithful and honest. The change we All anticipate must start with you.

I am certain that the starting line will be to promote our values and make sure that all Nigerians are educated and enlightened. We must never trade our values for sweeties and the civilization we see in the developed economies. Only this way can we reverse the declining trend ion our economy. I challenge the guardian of our education to take a critical look at the effects of having more illiterates and unenlightened citizen in any economy. The first major problem would be that the citizens will never be able to reach a conclusion about anything because they would be reasoning at different levels. The developed economies whom we are so brazen to emulate will always make sure their citizens are lettered and enlightened thereby ensure a large majority of its citizens would reason at the same level. It’s time we seek the connection between education, enlightenment and the economic progress in our country. It’s time we promote our values and abuse the mind set and slangs that instruct people not to be educated such as “education is a scam”. The truth be told many of the people who promote these ugly narratives always pay for their children and wards to be educated abroad.
Ladies and gentlemen permit me to conclude by saying that EDUCATION IS NOT A SCAM. A word is enough for the wise.

Written by Otokiti Olaoluwa Mr.