Following is the speech given at our 4th bi-annual convention:

 

GREETING & THANKS

• Ndoki nma nma mu!
• Let me begin by giving honor to who honor is due, Our Creator, God Almighty. I thank Him for giving us life and the privilege and opportunity to gather here this very day.
• It is a special honor to be invited by NATA Atlanta Chapter to be the keynote speaker on this 4^th Bi-Annual Convention and Gala Nite designed to promote education in Ndoki land.
• As a proud Ndoki son, I accept your kind invitation with special delight.
• I want to specially salute the leadership of Ndoki Association of the Americas (NATA), beginning with the able president – Dr. Ngozi Emuchay, and her VP – Mr. Esiaba Stanley, General Secretary – Mr. Charles Ojunta, and National Publicity Secretary – Mr. Maxwell Chijioke.
• I also want to salute the president of Ndoki Association Atlanta Georgia – Hon. Sir Eluwa Ebbis, as well as the others for their wisdom in organizing and bringing this 4^th Bi-annual convention and gala Nite to the great city of Atlanta – the Mecca of Black people in the USA, home of Civil right icon, MLK Jr., and others, biggest airport in the world and headquarters of global businesses including Coco-cola, CNN and others.
• I’m very proud of your leadership, tenacity and vision.
• Before I proceed, may I also salute our special guests, and our most especially those who travelled far and wide to be with us this day.
• I also salute all  title holders — Igwes, Nzes & Ozos, Ichies, Chiefs & Lolos, Sirs & Ladies, Reverends, Pastors, all Clergy, Honorable,  distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – all protocols and honors observed – good evening and welcome.

 

INTRODUCTION:

• When I was considering the topic – Promoting Education in Ndoki land; it dawned on me that I cannot effectively speak on this topic without examining briefly the educational philosophy and the educational paralysis in Nigeria. The last time I checked, Ndoki land is still in Abia State of Nigeria.
• And so, my talk will also briefly examine the philosophy and culture of education in Nigeria with particular reference to Ndoki Family education.
• The second part will examine what I call “Marshall Plan” – a seven strategy plan to promote education excellence in Ndoki land, and how the Ndoki in Diaspora ,especially in North America can help to reverse and renew the culture of learning, thereby strengthening and repositioning Ndoki land, her people, culture and social norms for greatness through courageous and purposeful leadership.

 

But first, what is Education

1. What Is Education – Its Importance and Objective?

 

• According to various scholars, education is the pillar and engine of societal development and progress.
• Education is a process by which a society generates the knowledge, necessary for its survival and sustenance and transmits that knowledge from one generation to another.
• Erasmus –the pioneer of humanism, believed that the proper meaning of education as an instrument of desirable change and service to mankind in all respects.
• Therefore, he described education as a social process which deals with harmonious development of all the abilities and faculties of mankind.
• From the above definition, education can be seen as the process of developing the individual to appreciate the benefits of acquiring knowledge and skills and rightly contribute to the improvement of his or her life and that of his or her community.
• Education therefore, is the foundation and pillar of societal development foundation and the bedrock of any civil society.
• Education can be defined based on the social and cultural thinking of various nations. For instance, the Orientals – Chinese, Indians, etc. think about education differently. Even going back to the empires before now – the Mediante’s, Babylonians, Greece, Egypt, Rome, etc. Even their philosophers and educators define education based on their cultural and social thought pattern – for instance Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Augustine Aquinas, John Dewey, and George Albert Coe – reasoned and questioned critical thinking.
• Even Jesus – who was a master teacher – and according to biblical teachings define learning and education as the “search for truth.”
• And we know that “truth is the product and major part of the intellect.”

 

1. Education is a Basic Right not a Privilege

• The United Nations General Assembly, at a meeting held in Paris, France in 1948, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In its preambles, Article 26 of UDHR emphasizes that “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality”. The right to education and the teaching of human rights education are 2 intertwined with each other.
• The United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), prescribed that national education should be funded to the tune of 26% of overall annual budget. The consequence is what manifests in dilapidated and overcrowded classrooms, absence of functional libraries, laboratories and poorly motivated teachers.

 

EDUCATION CRISIS IN NIGERIA.

• With an estimated population of 180 million, Nigeria is a country of puzzling contradictions where the majority residing in the rural areas, and in overcrowded urban slums still lack the basic essentials of life, while the few, relatively affluent, educated individuals engage in gluttonous lifestyles.
• Nigeria is the largest country in Africa in terms of population and has approximately 20% of the total out–of-school children population in the world. Adding to this challenge is the demographic pressure with about 11,000 newborns every day that overburdens the system capacity to deliver quality education.
• The adult literacy rate in Nigeria, reported to vary between 67 – 72% in 2009 by the UN Development Programme, is now down to about 57 percent.
• Education in Nigeria at all levels has witnessed a slow but steady decline in recent decades, and we must try to understand the reasons to be able to take appropriate corrective measures.
• The period birth to 5 years is very important in terms of learning for a child. In many Nigerian communities, regardless of income level, parents have unfortunately abandoned the important responsibility of caring for the infants to inexperienced maids/house helps.
• Statistics suggest that less than 10 per cent of Nigerian children eligible for Early Childhood Education (ECD) have access to the services.
• At the primary and secondary school levels, students are now educated under very difficult conditions, e.g. insufficient school materials, poorly equipped libraries and laboratories, poor student welfare system, etc. Public schools with initial capacities for 200 students are suddenly forced to accommodate several-fold that number without commensurate physical expansion.
• Undue political interference in smooth running of public schools is quite frequent.
• .Many schools in the rural and urban areas lack requisite buildings and furniture for the students. Power supply is erratic, and most of the schools lack adequate water supply, audio-visual facilities, etc. There is shortage of qualified, well-motivated teachers, and many of the teachers spend a good deal of their time conducting private businesses during school hours.
• Because of lack of opportunities for professional/intellectual growth, many of the teachers in the secondary schools, like their contemporaries in tertiary institutions, decay or undergo what educators describe as the “obsolescence of decline of competence”. This is a phenomenon described as “human decapitalization” by the economists.
• The very sad educational situation in our secondary schools was recently exemplified by the mass failures in WASSCE for the years 2008 – 2010 where less than 23 – 35% of the candidates obtained credit levels in English language, Mathematics 5.
• Nigeria, on the other hand, is yet to give education a pride of place, in spite of the enormous oil wealth bestowed on her by nature. Poor funding and other structural inadequacies have for many years placed Nigerian students at a disadvantaged position.
• Our government has consistently failed to meet the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization, UNESCO’s, prescription that national education should be funded to the tune of 26 per cent of overall annual budget. The consequence is what manifests in dilapidated and overcrowded classrooms, absence of functional libraries, laboratories and poorly motivated teachers.
• The dismal performances of students in national and international examinations in recent years make a sad statement on the failure of our educational system in general. For Instance, the recent results where only 38.81 per cent of those who sat for the May/June 2012 SSSCE examination, obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, paints a dour picture.
• Public education in Nigeria is in free fall. I am talking about a collapse so mind-boggling that it is actually threatening the very foundation of the Nigerian state.
• Since after the civil war, the education sector has been in steady decline especially in Southeast. What we have today is the total collapse of education and rot in public education, colleges and institutions of higher learning in Southeast.  Take for example the case of Abia State University gang rape.  What we have now is a monumental crisis and moral decadence in academia and institutions of higher learning.  This calls for an educational revolution and renaissance.”
• Abia State, the only oil state in Southeast region with almost 50 oil wells in Ngwa/Ukwa communities plus untapped ones in Ndokiland – especially in Akwete,  Azumini, and Ohuru communities was denied its rightful and proper share of the federal revenue as an oil producing state because of our politicians’ arrogant, immature, and unfocused politics.
• Nigerian institutions of higher learning especially in the South-east and South-south regions have become centers of strikes, riots, prostitution, sexual harassment, rape, cultism and poor lecturers.
• The university campuses have also become haven for incompetence, corruption, cheating, conflict, violence, gang activity, rape, killings, and all manners of evil and atrocity – rather than institutions of higher learning and innovation. And this is simply due to the massive failure of leadership in the education sector – where those who direct our educational ministries and institutions are simply corrupt, myopic, and visionless.
• From 1999 – 2009, the Southeast battled the scourge of broad day armed robbery, kidnapping, political assassinations, child trafficking, drugs peddlers, 419, ritualists, false and idolatrous religious shrines, satanic churches, gang activities such as bakassi, that later turned into cultic and bandits of armed robbery after serving the purpose of their political sponsors for election. Nowadays, it is factory babies located all over the Southeast.  Imagine the lawlessness and hopelessness today.    It was the kidnapping of 15 young school children at Aba earlier this year that ignited the anger of most Nigerians and compelled the police and military personnel to work together to fight kidnapping, which was really a national opprobrium.  Southeast and in fact most of Southern Nigeria was almost ungovernable because of the scourge of armed robbery in SE, political motivated killings in SW and kidnapping in SS.  Theses atrocities coupled with corruption were clear indication of lawlessness and failed Nigerian state.
• The culture of learning which was strong and admired by Nigerian mostly in the former Eastern Nigeria has eroded due to weak educational leadership and corrupt government leaders. Since the return to democratic government in 1999, the portfolio of education has been held by corrupt and incompetent politicians.  Moreover, most of the governors of the various states in Nigeria have been visionless and myopic.   The university campuses have become centers for raping young girls, gang activities, and cultists, in addition to constant strikes, poor lecturers and lack of funds.  Everything nowadays is driven by money even the university admissions are now bought by rich people for their sons and daughters.  The schools are also dilapidated and teachers who cannot write simple correct sentences or speak it are teaching our children.
• The picture is evidence of lawlessness and purposeless education in present day Nigeria.  That is why many young Nigerians are dying to leave Nigeria – even to the nearest neighboring countries like Ghana or South Africa to attend university.  Those of them who are extremely lucky to travel to the European Union and United States are excelling in their studies and academics.  Why would the young people live in a nation that does not care for them, recognized as the future leaders of the country, receive proper training, developed and prepared to take over the running of the country at some point? Why would they live in a nation without job after their university education and unemployment roaring at almost 80%?
• Nigeria needs a massive educational revolution and restructuring.

 

Some ideas to address the crisis in the education sector and institutions of higher learning in Nigeria.

• Parents, schools, educationists and policy makers must work together to transform the culture of purposeless educational system in Nigeria.  The community must demand for equipped schools and quality education from their providers.  Parents must rise up and demand for better, improved, and equipped schools as well as quality teachers.  Parents must partner with schools and government to educate their young children and nurture the future leaders of Nigeria.  I can still remember when villages contributed money to support a brilliant student, who has no means to attend school or university in Nigeria or overseas.  We must return to community and parents involvement in providing education for the young people.
• The home must become the first ethical learning and education center. In African traditions and cultures, children were taught their identity and moral obligations within the family household and extended family unit.  Literacy and learning were treasured skills in early West African empires.   The early West African nations were known for their political astuteness and intellectual ability and it all began at home.   Today the strong traditions of teaching and learning that were present in early African empires that thrived have been replaced with quick rich programs.  For the Jewish family, education began at home the moment the child is born. The ancient Greek philosophers also believed that ethical and philosophical instruction should begin at home when children are young.
• Political leaders must enact education policies that benefit the young people and the community.  Education policy makers must partner with businesses and government as well as international organizations to educate the young people.  I read how the former Governor of old Imo State, the late Governor Sam Mbakwe visited his alma mater in USA and pleaded with the university for free books and educational materials for Imo State schools.  He accomplished a lot in the area of education during his administration from 1979 and 1983 more than any of his successors.  In fact no governor from the South East since 1983 has made any significant achievement compared in the area of education and higher learning like the late Chief Mbakwe.  The current political leaders – especially those heading the education ministry must reach out and seek for assistance including international foundations, Diaspora organizations, etc., to transform the schools and institution of higher learning in their communities.  The culture of corruption must stop.  Vision and innovation must thrive again in Nigerian schools and universities.
• Schools, colleges, and universities must become centers for inquiry, interrogation, intellectual and character development.    Universities must not teach only Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Innovation, etc., but must also redesign its curriculum to compete globally.  The school curriculum must be designed to nurture the student to become not just an intellectual giant but a public moralist.  Schools must become centers for character development – nurturing student of high academic achievement with moral behavior. Schools must become centers for good role model and excellent leadership development.
• The irresponsible laws and reprehensible actions of government and political leaders must stop. Government must encourage and seek private investment and partnership in education.  Private centers of learning must be encouraged.  There must be private initiatives and non-governmental agencies to overseer private schools and college operations.  Competition and reward system must be encouraged by businesses and private education investors.
• Education advocates, crusaders and interventionist must be nurtured.  These are practically non-existent in Nigeria today.  The education enthusiasts must rise up and speak out.
• Educational philanthropy must also be encouraged.  Today, a typical Nigerian – especially from the South will give millions of Naira for nonsense titles, but will not give any kobo to philanthropy, schools, Scholarships or support the training of young people.  Some Nigerians will give millions to receive accolades but will not genuinely give for the training and development of young people for leadership.  That warped and morbid mentality of thinking must change.
• In the past, school dropout due to poverty and peer pressure for quick rich beefcake business was not an option.  It must be discouraged. Parents must again emphasize the importance of education and demand that their children get a quality and good education, which is a right and basic duty of the government – federal, state or local governments.

MARSHALL (7) PLAN – STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE EDUCATION IN NDOKI LAND

1. Endowment Funds & Trust Foundations.

Many of the very famous universities in the world are really not public universities—Harvard, Yale, Princeton; all these are private universities, and not strictly supported by government funds.  These institutions raise funds through alumni, through donations, endowment, donations from different organizations, and that probably is what should be done here, rather than the tendency to go ‘cap in hand’ in all the time to government for recurring expenditure.  By the staff is paid, little is left.  In that sort of debilitating environment, a vigorous attempt at generating funds internally must be sought.

 

2. Establishment of Private Vocational and Technical School.

The irresponsible laws and reprehensible actions of government and political leaders must stop. Government must encourage and seek private investment and partnership in education.  Private centers of learning must be encouraged.  There must be private initiatives and non-governmental agencies to overseer private schools and college operations.  Competition and reward system must be encouraged by businesses and private education investors.

As elaborated in the UNESCO Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Schools, we must invest into establishing training and skills development schools related to a wide range of occupational fields, production, services and livelihoods. It provides the kind of education that helps youths and adults develop the technical and vocational skills they need for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

1. Innovation in Education. We must encourage innovation ion education by revamping the curriculum.

 

2. STEM: Massive Investment in Education & Research and Development especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

We need a “Marshall plan” to develop a knowledge based society. I have a firm belief that the battles of this century (21st) will the quest for information, ideas and knowledge.  We must make huge investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) for our people at home.  Knowledge and information sharing is the key to true freedom and emancipation from slavery – body, mind, soul and spirit.  Ndoki people must learn how to share and cherish the repository of knowledge in their midst.  We should not be intimidated by it.  It’s the key to our freedom and emancipation not weapons (arms) of warfare.

3. Volunteerism: Encouraged Ndoki in Diaspora to volunteer home and take up the responsibility of teaching and building the land.
4. Education Policy.

We must engage our political leaders must enact education policies that benefit the young people and the country.  Education policy makers must partner with businesses and government as well as international organizations to educate the young people.  I read how the former Governor of old Imo State, the late Governor Sam Mbakwe visited his alma mater in USA and pleaded with the university for free books and educational materials for Imo State schools.  He accomplished a lot in the area of education during his administration from 1979 and 1983 more than any of his successors.  In fact no governor from the South East since 1983 has made any significant achievement compared in the area of education and higher learning like the late Chief Mbakwe.  The current political leaders – especially those heading the education ministry must reach out and seek for assistance including international foundations, Diaspora organizations, etc., to transform the schools and institution of higher learning in their communities.  The culture of corruption must stop.  Vision and innovation must thrive again in Nigerian schools and universities.

5. School Drop-out due to lack of funds and poverty must be discouraged.

In the past, school dropout due to poverty and peer pressure for quick rich beefcake business was not an option.  It must be discouraged. Parents must again emphasize the importance of education and demand that their children get a quality and good education, which is a right and basic duty of the government – federal, state or local governments.

CONCLUSION

• It is common knowledge that education provides the springboard for growth and development. It drives the engine of vibrant economies.
• In fact, there is a positive correlation between a country’s economic greatness and the premium it places on education. Finland, for instance, invests heavily on education. This is the reason the World Economic Forum ranked the country as having one of the most competitive economies in the world. Of course, this did not come by accident, as Finland offers free and qualitative education up to university level. In the Triumph of the City by Harvard Professor Glaeser, he argued how cities from Bangalore to Boston have developed simply by the amount of investment in education, and without any other appreciable natural or artificial resources.  Equally, history is replete with the benefit of education in various societies.  The advancement of education in the Hellenistic age led to Greece conquering the old; freed the Jews from the dominance of Persia and the rebuilding of Jerusalem; created the beauty of the Renaissance and the rebirth of modern Europe.  On the other hand, the lack of investment in education eradicated the Roman and Ottoman empires, crippled the Detroit of this world.
• I have always regarded education is the catalyst for freedom. It gives hope and the manpower for real development, to a society in which we have abandoned the pursuit of education and the knowledge it brings. We must get hungry and greedy for learning and education because it is the root of all success. We need purposeful and courageous leadership. We must build a strong and focused civil society by educating the polity and encouraging energetic, enthusiastic and passionate and intelligent citizens.  Building such strong institutions cannot be built out of a vacuum.  Building such citizens will require courageous and purposeful leadership.  All hands should join to flush out incompetence and correct the anomalies in our land.
• Now is the time to rethink and renew the call to educational excellence. We should ask what my own role is, your own function in the scheme of things.
• We need courageous, visionary educators and skillful leaders to emancipate our people and land from tyrannical leadership, economic indiscipline, moral degradation, etc.; in order to restore her honor and moral dignity and pave the way for pursuit for life, liberty, happiness and justice for all Ndokis.
• The political, traditional, religious, and business leaders in Ndoki land must work together to address the culture of narcissism that is corrupting and destroying sound education, civic duty and public service in our region.  The various communities must as a matter of urgency confront this moral crisis and purposeless life so prevalent in Ndoki land of Nigeria today. We must reverse the current trend of purposeless education in Ndoki land.  We must correct the vicious cycle of selfishness, and greed.
• Folks, this is an important fight we all owe our dear country.  The little benefit we individually enjoy around the world today is mostly due to the education we received, but unfortunately never gave back to the Country.  Again and without sounding corny, this is an important fight for each of us, and I trust we all join to promote education in Ndoki land”
• I feel specially privileged to participate in this very important convention with all of you today. Thank you for the opportunity.

 

Dr. C. K. Ekeke is a theologian, author, consultant and leadership scholar. He is the president of Leadership Wisdom Institute.