Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Education as a Strategy for Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream

  • Thematic Section
  • Published:
Development Aims and scope

Abstract

This article is an appraisal of Nigeria’s economy, its divisive as well as uniting forces, on the one hand the abundant natural resources and strong cultural traditions, and on the other hand the bane of corruption, violence, and governmental inefficiency. All these have been fully identified and engaged by the nation’s Vision2020 published by the National Economic Commission. Criticism of corruption in Nigeria is widespread, but it needs to be examined whether it is a problem by itself, or whether it is a reflection of growing poverty and related problems, which if addressed will lead automatically to an ebbing of corruption. This article proposes a ‘lateral thinking’ approach, which focuses on education as a means of improving the system of governance and the quality of governmental policy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Akinboye (2013: 4–5) quoting T.A. Balewa ‘Our Great Day has Arrived’ Text of Independence day Address to the Nation, 1 October in relation to Nigeria’s progress since independence.

  2. Sachs, argues as I do that corruption cannot be tackled independently or in isolation as is the case with many Western and advanced nations that have moved away from seeking basic necessities of life (see also Waldron, 1991: 295; McLean, 1999: 2; Amokaye, 2004: 24; Sachs, 2005: 191).

  3. Professor Oyebode’s (2005) analysis draws upon the vast reservoir of human learning, from the early Greek Philosophers to their modern successors. See also Fashola (2012: 21, 22).

  4. In a recently delivered paper, Atsenuwa explored the coexistence of the regimes of laws and noted: ‘… what future is anticipated for the co-existence of both legal regimes given that in reality, they often times pull at themselves in different directions. These different directional pulls are real “tugs of war” fought by each side with the goal, not just of proving superiority but of vanquishing the other. Indeed, it is not unusual for the war to be fought by means of violent onslaughts on the integrity of the other’. This reality compelled asking some pertinent questions: ‘But how disparate, can the two legal regimes be expected to co-exist harmoniously as seems to be the aspiration of the present legal system?’ ‘Are we seeking to build or expecting to sustain our legal system on what is no more than a myth, that is, both customary law and human rights law can co-exist harmoniously without a conscious and deliberate effort to rationalise their differences?’ ‘If we do no more than we have been doing presently, is it not inevitable that the legal system would one day implode as a result of the internal frictions generated by the contradictions inhering in its sub-system?’ (Atsenuwa, 2013: 2).

  5. Oyakhiromen (1999) argues that crime has overtaken the country because of the lack of ordered planning and an aesthetic environment, ‘the national economy was suffering with debt … [Per] capita income, a rough indicator of the quality of life facilities … [was] one of the world’s lowest. It displaced Nigeria from the middle position of 54th richest countries [by 1987] to the 13th poorest [by 1992]. Health profile presented also an ugly picture. Crude death rate was 16 per 1,000, mortality rate, 85 per 1,000, maternity mortality at 15/1,000. Life expectancy was 54 … There was in addition a growing dis-investment (local and international). The scarce resources, which ought to be used for provision of pressing basic needs, like transport, Medicare, housing, education and social welfare services, in order to enhance the quality of life, were diverted to crime fighting, thus distorting the domestic industrial structure. The expenditure of resources on anxiety, fear and precautions against potential criminal victimisation – fear and care that flow from insecurity and hopelessness – has become enormous; and, worse still, when added to those arising from state of economic emergency and depression, the situation becomes more aggravated’.

  6. For instance, Fashola (2012: 21, 22) states that it is not enough to refer to economic growth for, ‘to the man in the street, the only appreciable indicators will be security of lives and property, access to qualitative education and medical care, employment opportunities and ease of doing business (including power supply and other enablers). For many, the economic indicators like interest rate, inflation rate, foreign exchange rate, cost of fuel, etc. would be matters of keen interest because their business and livelihoods depend on those factors’.

  7. Jibril, FNAL,FNESA,FNIM,FLAN,OFR delivering a lecture on the occasion of the golden celebration of the establishment of the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

  8. Sir Frederick Lugard.

  9. Fashola, ‘Education, Research & National Development’ on the occasion of the University of Lagos School of Postgraduate Studies 8th Annual Lecture.

  10. Re South Place Ethical Society (1980) 1 W.L.R. 1565.

  11. In Re Shaw’s Will Trusts sub nom National Provincial Bank LD. v. National City Bank LD. and Others (1952) Chapter 163; (1952) 1 All ER 49.

  12. In Re Shaw’s Will Trusts sub nom National Provincial Bank LD. v. National City Bank LD. and Others (1952) Chapter 163; (1952) 1 All ER 49.

  13. The gains since democratic governance must however be noted particularly in some Southern States such as Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Edo.

  14. In recent times, the Lagos State Government has captured the applause of residents in its efforts towards improving the physical quality of the environment and infrastructures in Lagos, thereby the quality of life. In furtherance of its efforts and objectives stated by the Governor as making Lagosians live in a functional rather than dysfunctional manner, the government has enacted the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010. The law aims at providing for the administration of physical planning, urban development, urban regeneration and building control in Lagos State and for connected purposes. In particular, the law makes provisions for greenery and trees, as well as urban regeneration. The government kick started its programme from a vision that it has consistently held on to, ‘eko oni baje’, translated to mean ‘Lagos shall not be blighted’. A few years back, no one would have imagined Lagos could take the shape it is beginning to take.

  15. Bunk’se, E. V. ‘Saint – Exupery’s Geography Lesson: Art and Science in the Creation and Cultivation of Landscape Values’ (1990) 80 Annals of the Association of American Geographers 96, 106; (emphasis mine). See also, Section 22 of The English Commons Registration Act 1965 amended by Section 98 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; Meager, Rowena ‘New Town and Village Greens: back from the brink’ (case comment – Oxfordshire CC v Oxford City Council) (2006) Conv. & Property Lawyer 584; This Act makes places of natural beauty and historic interest a trust for the nation. C. George ‘Commons Act 2006 – new Life for new greens’ (2007) Journal of Planning & Environment Law 1283; Fragment from a Changing Legal Landscape – Planning Law Update’ (2005) Journal of Planning & Environmental Law 91; J. Holder ‘Overriding Public Interest in Planning and Conservation Law’ (2004) Journal of Environmental Law 377. The English Commons Registration Act 1965, established a map of all commons and village and town greens and required them to be registered. New village and towns green could also be created by 20 years user. A village or town green is ‘land on which either by specific statutory provision or customary right, or by continuous use for not less than 20 years, the inhabitants of the locality were entitled to pursue lawful sports and pastime’; see also, R v. Suffolk CC, ex p. Steed (1999) 59 P. & C.R. 102.

  16. The 1987 Brundtland Report by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED or the Brundtland Commission after its chair, the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland); see also (Runnalls, 2008: 19; Amechi, 2010; Fagbohun, 2010: 508).

  17. See also United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1995).

References

  • Abati, Reuben (2011) ‘The Vanishing Owambe Culture’, Guardian. Nigeria, 3 June.

  • Akinboye, Solomon O. (2013) ‘Beautiful Abroad but Ugly at Home: Issues and contradictions in Nigeria’s foreign policy’, University of Lagos, Nigeria Inaugural Lecture Series.

  • Akpamgbo, Clement (1977) ‘ “Woman to Woman” Marriage and the Repugnancy Clause’, 14 Africa Law Studies 87,91.

  • Alao, N.O. (2011) ‘Unilag and University Missions: Past, future and the globe’, University of Lagos 2010 Convocation Lecture, 13 January, College of Medicine Press, Idi Araba, Lagos.

  • Amechi, Emeka Polycarp (2010) The Millennium Development Goals and Policy Reform: Realising the right to a healthy environment in Africa. Germany: DM Saarbrcken.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amokaye, Oludayo (1999) ‘The Role of the Judiciary in the Administration of Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Edict No. 6. of 1997’, in Eunice Uzodike (ed.) Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Edict No. 6. of 1997 – Report of a Workshop, Faculty of Law Publications. Lagos: Ado Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amokaye, Oludayo G. (2004) Environmental Law and Practice in Nigeria. Lagos: University of Lagos Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atsenuwa, Ayodele (2011) Constitutionalism and Legal Feminism: Stepping stones or impediments on the long road to freedom for Nigerian women? Maiden Professor Jadesola Akande Memorial Lecture, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 5 October 2011, 44 ff.

  • Atsenuwa, Ayodele (2013) ‘Can two walk together, except they be agreed?’ Interrogating the co-existence of customary and human rights Law in Nigeria’. Paper presented for the University of Lagos Faculty of Law, Seminar Series of Friday, 8 March.

  • Ayoola, Emmanuel (2012) ‘Good Governance in Nigeria: The role of the judiciary’, Second Annual Kasunmu Law Society Lectures, delivered 18 July, University of Lagos Press, Lagos.

  • Babahinde, Raji (2012) Education, Research & National Development: Bridging the gap between the Town and Wig. Lagos: University of Lagos Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinwuba, Nwudego N. (2012a) ‘Developing Nations: Renegotiating women’s relevance through emotional stability’, East African Journal of Peace & Human Rights 18 (1): 87–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinwuba, Nwudego N. (2012b) ‘Can the Trust be Used to Achieve Equitable Property Redistribution on Divorce’, University of Ibadan Law Journal 1 (2): 59–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Committee on Needs (2012) Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, 1 November; http://www.academicstaffunionofnigerianuniversities, accessed 16 October 2013.

  • Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) Cap C23–29, 30 Laws of the Federation 2004, LexisNexis Butterworths.

  • Fagbohun, Olanrewaju (2010) The Law of Oil Pollution and Environmental Restoration – A comparative review. Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt: Odade Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbes, Thomas (1985) Leviathan. England: Penguin Classics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Htun, Mala and S. Laurel Weldon (2011) ‘State Power, Religion, and Women’s Rights: A comparative analysis of family law’, Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 18 (1): 145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ikhariale, Mike (2013) ‘A governorship squandermania’, The Punch ng. p. 16, 17 March. http://www.punchnewspapersng.com, accessed 25 October 2013.

  • Jibril, Munzali (2013) ‘Nigeria Higher Education: Agenda for reform’, Golden Jubilee Convocation Lecture of 5 Febuary, College of Medicine Press, Idi-Araba, Lagos.

  • McLean, Janer (1999) ‘Property as Power and Resistance’, in Janet McClean (ed.) Property and the Constitution. p 3, Oxford-Portland Oregon: Hart Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigeria Vision 20:2020 (2009) Economic Transformation Blue Print. Abuja, Federal Capital Territory: National Planning Commission.

  • Ninalowo, Adebayo M.A (2010) The State Qua State as antidote to Failure: A Sociological inquiry into underdevelopment, University of Lagos Inaugural Lecture Series, University of Lagos Press.

  • Oghojafor, Ben Emukufia Akpoyomare (2013) ‘Competitive Strategy: The perpetual struggle for a successful life’, University of Lagos Inaugural Lecture Series, 23 Wednesday.

  • Ogunbanjo, Chris (1992) ‘Law as an Instrument for National Economic Revival’, in Emmanuel G. Bello and Prince Bola A. Agibola (eds.) Essays in Honour of Judge Taslim Olawale Elias. Vol. II, pp 589–607, London: Martinus Nühoff Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okoh, Nicholas (2011) ‘It’s Puzzling for anyone to declare Jihad on Nigeria’, The Punch ng. p. 48, http://www.punchnewspapersng.com, accessed 25 October 2013.

  • Oyakhiromen, G. Ifidon (1999) ‘The Patterns and Trends of Crimes in Lagos State 1967–1996’, (9 T KP 91. L3. 09), unpublished thesis, University of Lagos.

  • Oyebode, Akin (2005) Law and Nation – Building in Nigeria – Selected essays. p 40, Lagos: Alamtex Printers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oyebode, Akin (2011) ‘Of Norms, Values and Attitudes: The cogency of international law,’ University of Lagos Inaugural Lecture Series, 7 Wednesday, pp 13–14.

  • Re South Place (1980) 1 WLR 1565; [1980] 3 ALL E.R. 918, Ch.D.

  • Runnalls, David (2008) ‘Our Common Inaction – Meeting the Call for Institutional Change’ 50(6), 19. http://www.environmentmagazine.org, accessed 25 October 2013.

  • Sachs, Jeffrey (2005) The End to Poverty: How can we make it happen in our life time. p 191, London: Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todaro, Michael P. and Stephen C. Smith (2009) Economic Development, tenth edition, Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinubu, B. (2010) Selected Speeches, Justice Research Institute. GTE.

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm, accessed 19 November 2013.

  • United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1995) http://hone.co.nz/tag/united-nations-international-covenant-on-civil-andpolitical-rights/.

  • United Nations Millennium Development Goals. http://www.un.org/milleniumgoals/, accessed 19 November 2013.

  • United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/; http://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/introduction.aspx.

  • Uzodike, Eunice (1990–1991) ‘Nigeria: Defining the ambit of custom 29 fam. L. 399: 401–402.

  • Vanguard Ng. (2013) ‘After ASSU…’, 16 October, http://www.vanguardnewspapersng.com, accessed 25 October 2013.

  • Waldron, J. (1991–1992) ‘Homelessness and Freedom’ 39 UCLA L. Rev. 295.

Download references

Authors
  1. Nwudego N Chinwuba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Nigeria has enormous potential but also huge challenges. The articles proposes a lateral thinking approach in order to overcome corruption, promote entrepreneurship, and set the country on a sustainable pathway

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chinwuba, N. Education as a Strategy for Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream. Development 56, 190–201 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2013.34

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2013.34

Keywords

Search

Navigation