Nigeria: Disincentivizing Education

by Eze Eluchie,

Shame of the Nigerian contraption:

Prize for Multina Family Dance competition – N10,000,000.00 + SUV (approx US$67,000.00)

Prize for Gulder Ultimate Search competition – N15,000,000.00 + SUV (approx US$84,000.00)

Prize for Cowbelll Mathematics competition – N100,000.00 (approx US$334)

Prize from GTBank to Best Graduating Medical student – N10,000.00 (approx US$34)

The banner on which the N10,000.00 mock cheque is printed actually cost more than N10,000.00!

GTBank should be ashamed of itself for mocking academic excellence. This perfidy is akin to the boast of the so-called ‘richest man in Africa’, Aliko Dangote, that PhD Degree holders applied to be Articulated vehicle Operators (Drivers) in his company......and we are still wondering why we are where we are whilst the rest of the world keeps on forging ahead?

Ruled by a brood of vipers who take delight in sending their children to foreign universities with funds looted from state resources whilst ensuring that local educational institutions remain decrepit and unfit, Nigerian youths are deliberately being schemed out of being positively relevant to the global economy. The rulers of the Nigerian contraption are hell-bent on disincentivizing education – discouraging the Nigerian population from venturing into the pursuit of academic excellence and rather promote mundane vocations and ignorance.

The socio-political structure of Nigeria and the quality of rulers such structure elevates to high political offices enthrones mediocrity, ignorance and ultimately an unproductive population. To have any hope of a meaningful existence, the present order has to be drained and replaced with a radically new crop at the helm.

Time however appears to be running out for the Nigerian state to right itself.

Picture: A GTBank Director proudly mocking education by presenting the N10,000 (under US$34) prize to the Best Graduating Student of the College of Medicine.