'Free, quality education possible in Nigeria'

WITH one voice, eminent Nigerians agreed yesterday that the free education policy introduced by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the Western Region in 1955, was still attainable in the country even at the moment. In fact, former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande came down hard on those who still argue that the policy was impossible, describing their assertion as nonsensical.

The occasion was the Obafemi Awolowo Centenary celebration held yesterday in Lagos, with the theme: "Free Education in Nigeria: 55 years on." The various speakers were also united in calling for a re-examination of Awolowo's policy, as a way of moving the education sector forward, especially at the basic level.

Jakande, who was one of the five Unity Party of Nigeria's (UPN) governors that implemented the policy from 1979 to 1983 said: "It is nonsense to say free education is not possible. It is achievable today, not tomorrow and the country is very capable to fund free education if we have total commitment from our leaders. We have the resources both human and material. We have the duty to provide education for our children because that is the greatest gift any government can give to the Nigerian child. Now more than ever, is there the necessity for free education in Nigeria."

Quoting statistics from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), that there were 23 million children now out of school, Jakande noted that the dismal figure constitutes more than twice or thrice the total population of some countries.

"How can we afford to be complacent with the future of our children? One can imagine what the county is missing by not investing rightly in this very critical mass of the population. What will be the future for these children who cannot get access to education because they are poor? There is a compelling reason for us to revisit the free education blueprint today. The country has the funds and material, but what we lack is the will and commitment of the leaders," he declared

Dr. Adedoyin Salami, from the Lagos Business School, warned that unless the country addressed the vision of free and compulsory education, the future of a large mass of Nigerian children would be truncated. According to him, the inability to deliver "is not because we don't have the resources." He observed that it was sad that 55 years on, the education sector was being run "as if we are 55 years backward."

Salami, while citing the poor performance of students in national examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), affirmed that despite more access, "the system has failed in terms of quality."

His words: "From Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun to Ekiti, the story of high rate of failure is the same. For the South West Nigeria, which is the birth place of free education, the state of performance shows that high quality education is still failing us and access to education is in danger of eluding us."

On the way out, he said: "It is clear that government should step back and play the role of regulator. Government for now should fund education in form of bursaries, and not limit its role to management. It should look at the quality of teachers to promote standard and professionalism and hold the schools accountable to ensure that the target is met. The world has moved on and this is an opportunity for government to understand fundamental business model. Nigeria's labour is ranked as the least productive in the world and the country is gradually sliding to the path of 'big for nothing.' Education is one of the basic requirements for competitiveness in the world."

Daughter of the late sage, and founding member of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo- Dosunmu, said if her father were alive today, "he would be very sad about the situation in the country's education system." According to her, prevailing evidence in the sector at all levels should compel Nigerians to ask what has become of the vision of education as a tool for individual and national development, 55 years on.

"I enjoyed free education and the standard then was amazing," she recalled. "Everyone was committed to the success of the policy, both the government and the citizenry. We had inspectors who actually did their job. It's unfortunate that defence and other issues took priority over education in the national budget and things have never been the same again. Majority of Nigerians still believe free education is possible. The country is capable of sustaining free education at all levels. All we need is commitment from all levels. Nigeria today can fund education much better because the country is economically more viable today than in the past."

Professor, J.F. Ade Ajayi in his opening address recalled that Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to which Nigeria subscribed to on joining the United Nations in 1960 propelled Chief Awolowo and the Action Group (AG) government in Western Nigeria to make free education a major plank in its political programme between 1952 and 1962.

The UNDHR states: "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."

According to Ade-Ajayi, AG's free education policy was recognised as the single most important factor in the massive electoral success of its successor, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the 1979 elections.

He lamented the poor attitude of government towards good education of its citizens. His words: "Free education has not become only a slogan of a caring government interested in the welfare of its people, but central government that has destroyed our federal structure and the educational system. A choice as to whether to abandon free education as one of rejecting central government's autocracy, or to retain free education while we try to fight autocracy by other means, is bound to provoke controversy."

Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye who chaired one of the sessions extolled the virtues of the late sage, Awolowo. He lamented the poor state of education in the country, stating that it appears as if there is a deliberate effort to kill education in the country. He, however, opined that education must start from the home front.

An educationist, Mrs. Oyebola Adetuba who is a beneficiary of Awo's free education policy said that good education fosters creativity. "It is not enough to say a nation is educated because its national income increased," she said. Mrs. Adetuba however, stated that for Nigeria to witness sustained growth and development, it must make education free, train its teachers, provide scholarships and embark on massive rehabilitation of schools, adding that the right to education is enshrined in the UNESCO charter.

A former federal minister, Chief Mrs. Nike Akande said she is an unrepentant believer in free primary education. "A man without education is an incomplete man," she said, stressing that Awolowo, a human capacity builder, empowered humanity by offering a free primary education as the premier of the old Western Region. "His free education programme was for all - both the poor and those from the rich background. He pursued his vision with infectious vigour," she said.

Also at the event, Professorial Research Endowment for four universities were inaugurated. They included the Ahmadu Bello University, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan and University of Nigeria, Nssuka.

Yesterday's event is billed to end today with a public presentation of another centenary publication entitled: Awo the builder (The story of Obafemi Awolowo) which was commissioned by the Foundation as a version of Awo's biography written specifically for children within the ages of nine to 13-year bracket and authored by Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire.