By Dr. Ibrahim A. Jawondo
It is a common knowledge that whatever disaster befalls the eyes must definitely affect her other sisters or brothers; the nose and the mouth. By extension and analogy, a recession in any society’s economy will affect all facets of the society and those of the citizenry. Gone were the days of the colonialists in Nigeria, even though their government was run for profit leading to the exploration and exploitation of Nigeria human, material and non-material resources, yet the philosophy of caring for the slaves awaiting buyers was not only applied but maintained most effectively as education was given utmost priority even if quantity was not addressed.
After independence in Nigeria in 1960, education was also given the deserved attention as it remained the irreplaceable tool for producing the skilled manpower that was in great demand to occupy the positions vacated by the colonial administrators. Thus, large scale scouting was done for educable Nigerians, educational opportunities were expanded and enabling laws were made. Thus, Nigerians were sent to schools home and abroad to study different disciplines that would meet the immediate needs of the nation.
Consequently, schools became the primary focus of both the regional and central governments. The Nigerian societies also played their parts by donating vast land for locating schools and construction of school buildings.
Between 1960 and 1980, education was like a business venture for the students. Recruitment into government schools could be likened to wining a Visa lottery now because agreeing to attend government or making the list of public schools’ admission was like getting an appointment letter to Chevron or any employment you may consider juicy now. During this period education was not only free but the social needs of the students were met. This was different from the caricature free education that was proclaimed by some state governments in the last dispensation.
However, from the 1980s due to several factors ranging from the global economic recession, upsurge in the number of students in schools, political proliferation of schools, politicization of educational administration, ineffective educational supervision, and lack of purposeful political direction, the education industries declined in nature and substance, in growth and development and gradually became a ghost of themselves.
The schools’ solid structures of the 60s and 70s for lack of maintenance wither away. The situation was made worse by natural disasters like wind that blew off roofs, erosion that ran into schools and collapsed buildings and fire from electricity sparks or bush burning that razed school buildings. For these reasons, and the ever increasing students’ population, school buildings were in bad shapes and other educational facilities; i. e, books in the library, apparatus in the laboratories, which were obsolete became grossly in adequate.
On the part of the personnel, the story was a sorrowful one. The academic staff that was by the mandate in the tertiary institutions was to teach, research and offer community services was reduced to mere teaching staff. And even in doing the teaching, the teachers were faced with either lack of or inadequate educational facilities at the face of the embarrassing students’ population. Therefore, the culture of research and book authoring which the academics were known for as a potent means of disseminating their research findings died a natural death due to lack of funds. Meager salaries compounded the academic staff problems. Their pays could not actually ‘take them home’ talk much of making savings to finance going to attend conferences and/or give public lectures as expected of them. This in part was responsible for the idleness of some lecturers and the incessant strike actions by the trade unions in the tertiary institution pressurizing the governments to improve the funding for education.
Consequent upon this, the nation’s schools including the tertiary institutions were producing substandard, half-baked and in-dependable graduates in all disciplines. The employment atmosphere became populated with men of inadequate skills. Sequel to this, all sectors within and outside Nigeria which had depended on Nigeria Tertiary institutions for skilled manpower looked elsewhere. Some of the sectors because of the efficiency of the old graduates in their organsations, they preferred to retain them on the job even after their retirement age. Thus, the phenomenon of contract staff began at the expense of the youth who were able bodied but lacked skills.
To arrest this appauling situation in the nation’s tertiary institutions, the Federal government took bold step by establishing a special fund to salvage the tertiary institutions from extinction by overhauling them in all ramifications in order to reposition them to meet up with their deferring mandates which are directed towards the attainment of the nation’s goal of not only producing an egalitarian society but also among others to educate the citizenry for self reliance.
The first known outfit was the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF. It was an organization with an ambitious term of references because its mandate transcended the level of providing educational facilities to include social, economic, and even political infrastructures for the states of the Federation including Abuja. Quite a number of eminent Nigerians served as administrators of this organ including the current Nigerian president, General Muhammadu Buhari. During his tenure in office at the PTF, everyone seemed to know and feel the existence of the organ for its unrelenting efforts at renovating old and building new schools’ structures and roads in nearly all the geo-political zones in Nigeria. The TETFund, which is the focus of this write up was established with a specific mandate on bettering the lots of the Nigeria tertiary institutions. Since its establishment, the tertiary institutions witnessed rapid changes in infrastructural development. Lecture Halls, staff offices administrative buildings, perimeter fencing of schools’ lands, electricity and water facilities have been improved upon. Apart from the new buildings meeting the specific needs of the users, they are indeed a sort of attraction not only to the users but also visitors alike. Thus, the tertiary institutions are not only becoming conducive for learning and habitation but tourism centres.
One cannot but be astonished by the progress being recorded by the TETFund in the current dispensation. The TETFund had intervened and continues to intervene in all the critical areas of the nation’s tertiary education. These include but not limited to; development of staff skills, which is tackled head long by seeking from the institutions, lists of their staff on Staff Development Programme SDP, both within Nigeria and abroad for full sponsorship of their programme. Local, national and international Conferences are also supported with funds to enable staff of the tertiary institutions present their research findings to a large audience, learn new skills related to their disciplines and jobs, and to meet colleagues from other nations, all with the hope of building their capacity, for the enhancement of the nation’s education at the tertiary institutions. Thousands of the members of the targeted group have benefitted from these programmes more than ever before while many are on the waiting lists. The nation’s tertiary institutions are now beginning to have pools of academics that the nation’s can be proud of in no distant future like the first and second generation of scholars that Nigeria produced.
It should also be noted that research activities in the tertiary institutions that were dead are now being revived given the research grant introduced by TETFund. Interesting, well focused, purposeful, result orientated, and development engendering researches are being supported by TETFund. An exploration of the records of the beneficiaries at TETFund or at the level of each institution will amaze one.
Furthermore, academics who are still in active service will agree with me that the culture of book authoring and publishing, which had died are now being revived as well. TETFund also has funds for book publishing. Quite a number of manuscripts of renowned academics that had been under locks and keys as well as thousands of research reports and dissertations have been published with TETFund grants and others are now being dusted for submission to TETFund because its support for the publication of such important documents is a reality. As a matter of emphasis, quite a number of academics have benefitted from this programme while others are advancing interest. Closely related to this is the revival of the publication of major journals in tertiary institutions as well as those of reputable professional bodies. The publication of these journals in most cases had stopped while few did skeletal publishing as a result of lack of or inadequate funds. Today, some of these journals came back to life courtesy of TETFund with evidences of TETFund’s support manifesting on them. Besides creating enabling environment for teaching and learning, and the provision of educational materials, the welfare of the students is also given attention. One of the major reasons for Aluta Continual among the students’ folk before now was the issue of transportation. Today TETFund as intervened in students’ transportation to-and-fro the school. Quite a number of roomy and eye-catching luxurious buses have been made available to tertiary institutions to reduce the tension usually created by transportation problem for both the students and administrators. No wonder students’ unrest has greatly reduced.
At this juncture, permit me to give kudos to the current administration at the TETFund under the leadership of Professor Suleiman Bogoro for its proactiveness, sensitivity to the problems of the tertiary institutions and its flexibility of policy procedures to provide solutions to the importunate problems of the nation’s tertiary institutions. The steps taken so far have shown that the management has a good understanding of the problems and the strategies to solving them. There is no gain-saying in stressing the fact that the existence of the TETFund and the administrative sagacity and acumen of the leadership have gone a long way at reducing industrial disharmonies in tertiary institutions.
The lecturers are more than busy all the year round with little or no time for privacy as they are either lecturing, researching, or engaging on community serves for self development and nation’s advancement. Bogoro is an academic to the core, a detribalized Nigerian, and a seasoned educational administrator, thus, the terrain is not new to him, and he understood the job and he’s doing it with passion, incomparable commitment and a high sense of responsibility. In Nigeria, wherever you are and wherever you go just visit any tertiary institution and you shall be welcomed by TETFund projects as they are boldly written on different projects. Parents, just ask your children of TETFund you will be told success stories. If you must see for yourselves, just navigate into their facebook page and/or their phones’ galleries, you would see beautiful pictures taken, using TETFund projects as background. It may be hard to believe those pictures are taken in a Nigerian environment.
At this auspicious time in Nigeria, we believe the era of unnecessary politicization of governance has gone and we do not pray for a return to it. Therefore, let’s all hands be on the deck to move Nigeria forward rather than making statements or taking steps that are capable of derailing Nigeria democracy. The Nigeria Tertiary Institutions have for long been in mess and now that we seem to be getting it right through the current efficacious leadership of General Buhari and the TETFund, let’s give them the benefit of doubt.
Any attempt at truncating the good work the leadership of the TETFund is doing might be counter-productive at the tertiary institutions and by extension education sector. I have the believe that with the prophetic ”Ibrahimic” leadership of the GMB, his “Ismailic” faith, his “Sulemanic” administrative understanding and his “Daudaic” wisdom, as well as his long ‘hands on/f experience’ in governance in Nigeria, GMB is well positioned to effectively monitor those working under him. Thus, instead of insinuating troubles or making hate speeches, let’s support him to take Nigeria to the next level.
Come to think of it that should Nigerians rely on the campaigns of calumning embarked upon during the electioneering processes, we would have been misled. Thus, I grave the indulgence of all Nigerians to allow persons entrusted with positons to demonstrate their ability by giving them free hands to operate within the armpit of the law. An attempt at viewing the present with the eye of the past or vice versa may lead us astray.
Suggestions
As excellent as the works going on at TETFund look like, I fill there is a big room for improvement. I am optimistic that with the current leadership and the spate of activities at the TETFund, the Nigeria Tertiary Institutions will not only revive their past glories as they are currently doing but build a new one that will compare favourably with those of other continents particularly the West. No person or nation can rise beyond the level of his/her or its education. The current trend in research funding at the TETFund seems to have open ways for established academics and researchers and not the upcoming ones.
The younger and upcoming researchers lack the detailed research skills that are being demanded by the TETFund. While I am not advocating a relax in the requirements, I am making a case for extensive, intensive continuous and continual training of researchers on how to package their thoughts into research proposals, and organize their manuscripts not only for TETFund but also for several donor agencies .
Furthermore, the TETFund activities we should understand differ significantly from those of donor agencies and should not be made to look like a raffle draw. But conscious steps need be taken to get the targeted group educated in that direction willy-nilly. It was gathered that hundreds of applications are usually submitted but few make the list at every programme. This could discourage applicants as they continually failed while there is no enlightenment on the requirements. This could lead to open condemnation of the organ’s activities and may reverse the ground already covered.
Effective monitoring already put in place on what the tertiary institutions and individual do with TETFund grants should not be relaxed. However, this could be improved upon through third party supervision; a situation where independent persons are engaged in verifying the reports of the monitoring unit of the TETFund. This may help to reduce or explain discrepancies in the administration of the TETFund conference grants beneficiaries seemed to be discovering at the institutional levels.
Conclusion
Successive Nigerian government deserved commendation for their commitments to improving education in Nigeria. It should be stressed here that the major threat to Nigeria education had been inefficient political leadership. With the current wind of change blowing across the length and breadth of Nigeria, and with the current crop of leadership at the TETFund, we are optimistic that the problems at the Nigeria Tertiary institutions will soon be a thing of the past.
Dr I. A. Jawondo, PhD, is a fellow, American Council of Learn Societie ACLS, Institute for International Islamic Thought, IIIT, Centre for research and Documentation in Africa and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin.
