For Nigeria, 24 million reasons to fear the future?

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

When Olusegun Obasanjo took implicit successful the mediate of 1976 from the slain Murtala Mohammed arsenic Nigeria’s subject Head of State, the authorities was already committed arsenic a substance argumentation to modulation powerfulness to an elected civilian medication successful 1979. This was a large woody alright but not 1 implicit which helium had overmuch accidental arsenic such. As subject Head of State, General Obasanjo identified 2 issues to specify his idiosyncratic legacy.

One was nutrient security. To code that, helium launched “Operation Feed the Nation”, amended known by the acronym (OFN). Those were the aforesaid initials of Obasanjo Farms Nigeria, the sanction of the institution nether which the General would aboriginal prosecute his post-retirement vocation successful agriculture. The coincidence was not mislaid connected many.

The different contented was education. To prosecute this, General Obasanjo launched the Universal Primary Education (UPE) successful 1976. 40 years later, an autarkic survey determined that the UPE had “a statistically important interaction connected schooling attainment of beneficiaries” but determination were questions arsenic to its scope and coverage. Quite isolated from the accustomed dysfunctions associated with centrally dictated authorities programmes, the UPE besides faced absorption from accepted and spiritual leaders successful immoderate parts of Nigeria, who reportedly felt “that it is simply a Christian brainwashing which alienates their children from their ain spiritual beliefs.” Those were besides radical who mostly opposed the acquisition of the girl-child.

The 3 and a fractional years of the Obasanjo subject authorities were excessively abbreviated for specified an ambitious programme arsenic the UPE to beryllium itself. The champion helium could anticipation for was that his civilian successors would proceed with the idea.

At the motorboat of the UPE, the state was successful the mediate of what its rulers believed would beryllium an interminable Oil Boom. In hindsight, the onset of the UPE coincided with the opening of a bust. The programme became 1 of the casualties of the rampant corruption and the consequent Austerity that bedevilled the medication of Obasanjo’s chosen successor, President Shehu Shagari.

The subject authorities that toppled Shehu Shagari 4 years aboriginal paid nary heed to basal education. Chronically careening from the duplicate crises of equilibrium of payments and elite banditry of the Nigerian governmental class, the strategy ne'er rather rediscovered the volition to put successful basal acquisition arsenic a work of the Nigerian state. By the clip Obasanjo returned arsenic civilian president 20 years aft his archetypal circuit of duty, the state had begun to reap whirlwind from decades of costly omission.

President Obasanjo appeared to recognize this but arguably waited excessively agelong to code it. In the 5th twelvemonth of his 8 twelvemonth tenure, helium enacted the Universal Basic Education Programme (UBE), which made basal acquisition compulsory for each children successful Nigeria. Basic acquisition nether the instrumentality was defined arsenic 9 years of ceremonial acquisition – six years successful superior schoolhouse and 3 years of inferior secondary education. It besides became a national transgression to contradict a kid successful Nigeria entree to specified education. To promote uptake by the states, the Federal Government offered generous co-financing incentives to the states. Many failed to instrumentality it up.

Two years later, successful 2006, President Obasanjo launched a National Policy connected Education. By this time, a diagnosis had indicated the extent of the emergency. Of 42.1 cardinal Nigerian children eligible for superior acquisition astatine the extremity of 2005, “only 22.3m were successful the superior schools. This fig implies that astir 19.8m oregon 47% Nigerian children that should [have] been successful superior schools [were] not.”

It is nary astonishment that this play coincided with the onset of what would aboriginal go an Islamist insurgency founded connected an ideology opposed to Western education.

As with his archetypal circuit of statesmanlike duty, the argumentation measures implemented by President Obasanjo connected his 2nd coming arsenic relied for their durability connected his successors sharing his consciousness of ngo and urgency. It was a gangly hope. In the 2 decades since Obasanjo’s National Policy connected Education of 2006, successive administrations neglected it to a constituent wherever the state has go the astir earthy recruiting crushed successful the satellite for radicalisation.

On Monday, 13 November, 2017, Muhammadu Buhari, different Nigerian ruler connected his 2nd circuit of statesmanlike duty, hosted a Cabinet retreat connected education. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, him...