My name is Hamza. My father had two wives. The family comprised ten children from two different mothers. I was the eldest and the sixth in my mother’s room and the family, respectively. We were three in my mother’s room.
One fateful day, our father, Alhaji Basiru, and his friends travelled to Katsina. Unfortunately, they had a ghostly road accident returning to Funtua, our hometown. Only one person survived. I was not enrolled in a public primary school at that time, not to talk of my younger brothers. Our mother became our father and mother; for she had taken all the responsibilities of the father.
Glory be to the Sustainer. Since before our father gave up the ghost, she had embraced some petty trade at home like selling ruwan leda (water, then, usually, packed in a medium-sized leather after being cooled by a Randa ‘earthy pot’), roasted groundnut and selling food later. Her local restaurant, which was home, had become renowned in the locality and the neighbour then, as there were fewer restauranteurs in the area.
She used to sell a bag of rice in two or three days in the comfort of her home. Over time, competition increased. Sequel to that, she boiled to cook only a few measures of rice. I hawked the food on a silver tray when things started getting out of hand. The hawking was usually done after I returned from morning school and sold before late afternoon prayer (Asr), after which I had the opportunity to go to Islamiyya.
Furthermore, she ensured we had all we wanted so that we had the equal privilege to be educated like other children whose parents are alive. I can never forget when I told her what someone told me about what seemed to them like we were chasing education. He said one of his friends said, “If he (referring to me) must further his education, we will see who will sponsor him.”
I felt sad even after narrating the story to our mother. She said, “You see, all these hardships that I endure are for you to be educated. I wish I had money to sponsor your education to university; I can spend any amount in my belongings for you to be educated”. She continued, “Although I do not have enough money to sponsor your education, I believe you will get someone to help you, and that is what I always pray for.” Whenever I remember that, I feel motivated.
Fortunately, I sat for my SSCE and came out with flying colours. It was in the school of our neighbour and brother who sponsored a duo of us, my half-brother and I, in his school. May Allah (SWT) reward him and add to his wealth, amin.
I then applied to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria with a JAMB score of 252 for MBBS in 2020. After some years of waiting, due to Covid-19 and the lingering strike, I sat for post-UTME and scored relatively well. However, afterwards, I did not secure admission. That may be due to too much competition.
Still, I did not give up. I knew MBBS was, most of the time, not a one-off thing. So the following year, I sat for another one, prayed, and worked harder. This time around was Federal University Dutse (FUD) and still the MBBS. After all, I got it in that school in early January this year (2023).
I owe my success to my dearest mother. As Prof. Abdalla Uba wrote, her likes are the “REAL woman of substance.” In a few years, I hope to become a feather in her cap ( to be a professional medical doctor ), become an important person to society and save the lives of many victims.
His name was Sadik. Perhaps about 11 years old. He walked into my newly allocated office in the old Mass Communications building of Bayero University Kano (Nigeria) in 2013. I was startled. He was a tiny boy with deep dark skin, a beautiful face with intense eyes and a dolphin smile. He asked if I wanted to buy Fura (steamed millet balls blended in cow milk, often used as dessert, although it could stand on its own as a nutritious meal). He did not look like any of the usual urchins who thronged the corridors of the building look for odd jobs – run errands, empty trash, sweep office when those officially charged – and paid – to do so did not. Intrigued, I ordered one. He disappeared and returned some twenty minutes later with the Fura in a transparent plastic bag. I paid him, and that was that.
He returned the following day. When I declined to buy it because I didn’t feel like drinking the Fura, he insisted I buy it for others. When I asked why, he simply retorted that I appeared richer than other staff because, first, I was a professor, and second my office was larger. I was amused by his evaluation of my finances based on my position. And true, my office was the largest for staff, but I was a new bride in the Department – having been wedded to Mass Communication after an amicable transfer from the Department of Science and Technology (thus the ‘double’ professor tag), and all stops were pulled to make me welcome. Based on his logic of having a larger office, if not a deeper pocket, I bought about ten and asked him to distribute them to colleagues.
Sadik was to become a regular fixture in the corridor. Always after 2.00 p.m. One day he came with a blue checkered school uniform. Mentally, I thanked the boy who gave him the ‘hand me down’. The uniform was from Musa Iliyasu College, located along Gwarzo Road, a few kilometres from the New Campus of Bayero University Kano. This was a private and prestigious high school in Kano, attended by the children of the well-to-do.
I was told, however, that the uniform was his own and that he was indeed a student at the famous prestigious college. Curious about the human aspect of this development, I decided to delve further. What I found was what I want to share with you regarding the world of Hausa women.
Sadik did not come from an elite home. He was from a large Fulani family living in a ruga (a Fulani cattle encampment) near Janguza Army Barracks in Kano – itself a few kilometres from Bayero University Kano, New Campus, along Gwarzo freeway. The unit was a father, three wives and eighteen children. Sadik was the eldest in his mother’s room. They were herders. Indeed, Sadik was born near Tamburawa along Zaria Road in Kano when the family was on the move in 2002. They camped near Janguza Barracks, where they located their ‘hometree’.
The mother was the one selling the Fura at Bayero University Kano New Campus that Sadiq marketed. She had a ‘stand’ near the Faculty of Engineering. She had a lot of customers in all categories of the university community. After all, even professors love Fura. Her interaction with the university community enabled her to develop an interest in education, and she wanted to get Sadiq to attend a school and eventually a university. She did not want Sadik to follow the family herd. His father, however, wanted the child to join the family herding tradition. The mother then engaged one of her customers, a professor, to drive to the ruga and convince the father to allow the child to attend school, to which he reluctantly agreed. The mother then took over the process of educating the child.
She enrolled him in a local private primary school inside the Janguza Barracks. After he finished, she inquired which was the best high school around, and Musa Iliyasu came highly recommended. She enrolled him there. An exclusive private school. Paid for from the proceeds of her Fura business. She bought a bike for Sadik to make it easy for him to attend the school, some five kilometres from their tent. His legs could barely reach the pedals, but he was enthusiastic about learning. After school, he would go to her Fura stand, park the bike and then trample all over the BUK mega building advertising his mother’s Fura (even boldly entering the Vice-Chancellor’s office to market the Fura), all the way till 6.00 p.m. when they close ‘office’.
I interacted with Sadik for three years. He was so curious, bold, confident and always lifting books on my desk, trying to read them, asking endless questions, his eyes always darting and roving all other office. He was truly an inquisitive and intelligent child.
In 2016 I temporarily relocated my place of work to Abuja, and that was the last I saw of Sadiq. I did not fully return to Bayero University till 2022. In the intervening period, I had wistfully thought of Sadik and finally decided to find out what had happened to him when I returned. It was a massive success story of doggedness by a traditional woman.
When Sadik finished Musa Iliyasu College, he told his mother he wanted to be a pilot. She asked him to find out how much it would cost. Off he went to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, where he learned the fees could be as much as ₦7.5 million. He informed his mother, who immediately asked him to continue the process of getting admitted. She would pay the entire sum – after all, she was already a millionaire with the large herd she had. She earmarked the number of cows to sell to raise the pilot school fees. Sadik did the entrance exams but did not scale the final test. So, he was not admitted.
He then applied to BUK with his JAMB score of 201 for Computer Science but did not meet the Post-UTME requirements for the program. Again, he faced rejection. His mother initiated the process of getting him alternative university admission and was advised to take him to Al-Qalam University, a non-profit Islamic university in Katsina. He went there and inquired about the admission process and the fees. With his results, he was admitted. His mother sold two of her cows for ₦450,000 and gave him the money to pay for the school fees in Computer Science and his accommodation in Katsina. He enrolled and started his program.
When he relocated to Katsina, she sent him money every day. She eventually gave him ₦200,000, with which he started a Fura packaging business, employing his co-tenants in the house he was renting. Soon, he established a small business employing other students. Eventually, he vied for and succeeded in becoming the Vice-President of the Computer Science Students Association of the Al-Qalam branch.
Sadik became a dedicated student with a consistently high CGPA, which could eventually lead to either a good second upper or a first in Computer Science. He was eventually elected the President of the Computer Science Students of his university chapter. One day, the officers of the Association came to Kano for a function during a school break and decided to see his house, especially after he told them he lived in a ruga. They were astonished to discover he was telling the truth – their respect for his modesty raised higher.
In January 2023, I was in my office at the Faculty of Communication BUK when someone walked in. I was bent on my laptop but did notice the guest removing his shoes and coming and standing in front of my desk, waiting for a pause in my typing.
I looked up at a tall well-built young man. I immediately knew it was Sadik. At 21 years, everything about him has changed, of course, but not his dolphin smile. He told me he learnt I was asking of him and decided to come and greet me. I was so happy to see him, and it was he who related to me what I had written so far. I immediately connected him to Sunusi Ahmad Baffa Dawakin Tofa, Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the Fulfulde Development Association of Nigeria (FULDAN), of which I was a patron. They promised to come together and see how Sadik could be part of community mobilisation awareness and a role model, especially for youth. Sadiq owes his success so far to his mother.
Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu and Sadik
***
Sadik’s mother, Hajiya Hauwa Suleiman Dikko, was not an educated, entitled, privileged woman. She did not go to school. Her class was the hard knock of life. As a young girl, she missed going to school with lunchboxes and rucksacks festooned with stickers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Spiderman, Hulk, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. She did not attend a privileged landscaped school with paintings of Micky Mouse and Donald Duck on their walls. She had no driver to chauffer her to school in an airconditioned SUV. No TV to return to after school hours in a nice airconditioned living room. No iPads to play with. No Netflix to relax her hard stressful day. No extra lesson teacher (Uncle John or Auntie Funmi) to ensure she passed those horrible subjects such as Mathematics.
Her contemporaries who lived such life finished successfully from their expensive private schools (of course, no private school would allow mass failure, especially from children of the privileged) and had gatekeepers to ensure they got admission into the juiciest disciplines in the university of their choice. If at all in Nigeria – otherwise, it would be off to Ukraine (before it became too hot), some obscure countries in Eastern Europe, India, Cyprus, the UK or preferably, Malaysia.
When such contemporaries returned, they had cushy jobs waiting for them and a relatively easy path to the top. Eventually, they are celebrated as women of substance – given awards (which they don’t need) and celebrated in academic papers and opinion pieces as role models of female achievement and doggedness in a patriarchal society. I don’t mind their high-profile visibility. I just believe the accolades are wrongly placed, or at the very least, the Point of View (POV) should sweep around.
My female heroes? Those I will be celebrating today, the 2023 International Women’s Day? Let’s start with Sadik’s mother. And hundreds of others like her. I am sure you know one or two in your locality. They are women, often widowed, left alone, with little or no inheritance, and who, with the little they have, were able to provide much-appreciated services in their communities and keep a tight hold on their families. They don’t engage in endless and fruitless debates about gender identity or reproductive rights nor women’s representation in political representation and their share of hegemony. Rhetoric. Talking loud and saying nothing. As my main Man sang, “Like a dull knife / Just ain’t cutting / Just talking loud / Then saying nothing”. (James Brown, 1970).
Mainly, restauranteurs, these local women build people and impact their communities. With their business – restaurant (ƙosai, koko, tuwo, ɗanwake, wake da shinkafa, alkubus, gurasa, ƙashin rago, etc.), public transport (Keke NAPEP, buses, Acaba/Okada, Ƙurƙura), estate (properties, rental apartments, plots of land) – they are the role models who should be celebrated. They don’t feel entitled and are privileged in the peace of mind they have and the mentoring they do in their communities. They have no PAs, SAs, fierce dogs at the gates of their solar-powered villas and mansions, no frowning ‘maigad’ to intimidate and scare away panhandlers.
They have no SUVs as the cost of one could serve as capital for a whole year for their business. They don’t even have cars, despite some owning a transport business or so. They do not take their holidays in London or Dubai – they have no time for holidays as they are busy serving their communities. They marry off their daughters, not in grand style, with furniture imported from IKEA in China but from local makers – thus contributing to local economies.
So, what should be the concerns of women on International Women’s Day? For me, with a focus on Muslim Hausa women living in traditional communities, how about integrating them into the modern sector digital economy? Instead of empty rhetoric about gender representation, why don’t we focus on enabling them to acquire skills such as mobile phone repairs and POS services – in the comfort and safety of their homes? Many women are now engaged with mobile phones and online trading and payments. Muslim Hausa women feel unsafe in approaching service centres where clusters of men provide these services. Empowering them to be skilled in digital knowledge in the lungu and saƙo (alleyways) of our communities works better than hot-air rhetoric and genuinely can make a difference.
On this day, I, therefore, award accolades to Sadik’s mother, Hajiya Mai Ƙashin Rago Fagge (with a whole street named after her), and countless others whom I am sure Jaafar Jaafar knows more. They are truly women of substance.
Today, being International Women’s Day, please locate any in your community, go right up to her and appreciate her. Celebrate her achievements and her silent but visible impact in the community as the REAL woman of substance.
PS: Some have asked about Sadik’s whereabouts. He is in his final year at Al-Qalam, Katsina, Computer Science, and from his results so far, he is heading towards either a First Class or a very good Second Upper.
Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu can be contacted via auadamu@yahoo.com.
The four writers are Tares Oburumu, Ruth Chidera Echewe, Sadiq Mustafa and Taiye Ojo, they arrived in the ancient town of Ilorin, Kwara State, for the first batch of the 2023 Imodoye Writers Residency programme. A statement issued by the residency manager said the writers are expected to be there for three weeks and an optional one week.
Tares Oburumu is a Bayelsa State-born poet and essayist, based in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. He’s the author of 6 published chapbooks. Tares Oburumu is the winner of the GAP poetry prize 2018 and his chapbook ‘origin of the syma species’ won The Sillerman First Book prize for African poets 2022, to be published by Nebraska University Press, U.S., in fall 2023. Tares had been nominated for the Pushcart prize with Woven Tales Press 2019, and Ice Floes International literary journal 2021.
Tares Oburumu is in Imodoye residency to work and expand his three chapbooks: Erasure, Chatham House and Red: the love story of Annie Ernaux. As a child, Tares heard the nerve-racking stories of how brothers took to the Atlantic Ocean, going oversee, and it broke him to pieces hearing the manner they died in their attempt to escape the bedlam their country has become. His lens’ expositions focus on emigration and the attendant trauma not told by those who suffer from it. And to shine the light on how they ended, coffined in the dream of escaping Nigeria.
Ruth Chidera Echewe, (Unbreakable) is a writer, editor, media personality and professional blogger. She publishes potpourri of themes in unbreaky.comblog, her personal blog space is called UNBREAKABLE FEATURES. She’s a graduate of English and Literary Studies from the Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. An indigene of Abia State, Nigeria, but resides in Enugu State.
Ruth, Chidera Echewe is in Imodoye to complete her work: Sisters Series, prose, dealings with humans, certain bonds that sustained our existence and given us a different definition of life. She kindly follows various studies that have proven the strongest bonds emanated from the establishment of relationships. Ruth is motivated by her passion for creativity which has gone ahead to give birth to what she intends to manifest into a publishing, writing and editing firm in the nearest future.
Abubakar Sadiq Mustapha is a poet, art curator, documentary photographer, and community developer. He studied Geology and Mining at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, and currently rounding up his master’s program at the same Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State. Sadiq uses books, photography, and arts in driving social change from girl-child education, and gender-based violence to youth participation in politics and believes in the power of photography and how it can be used toward mental health, is in Imodoye to complete his manuscript: Home is my Mother’s Tongue.
Abubakar is also a photo columnist with Salamander ink magazine and the curator of the Abubakar Gimba literacy campaign. He’s the project lead for The Lapai Bookclub’s mobile library and school, a project that takes reading and arts to grassroots communities in Northern Nigeria aimed at increasing the literacy rate of the region and creating awareness in governance.
Ojo Taiye is a Delta base Nigerian eco-artist and writer who uses poetry as a handy tool to hide his frustration with society. He’s the winner of the Hay Writer’s Circle poetry prize, US, 2021, Calthalbui poetry prize, Ireland 2021. In 2020 Taiye Ojo was selected to participate in Capital City Film Poetry Festival, in Michigan and Poetry Introductory Series, in Ireland. His commissioned works include Belfast Photo Festival 2021, Winnipeg Fringe Festival and Leeds Poetry Festival.
Taiye’s recent works explore neocolonialism, institutionalized violence and ecological trauma in the oil-rich, polluted Niger Delta. His themes deal with the effects of climate change, homelessness, migration, drought and famine, as well as a range of transversal issues arising from racism, black identity and mental health. Taiye Ojo is in Imodoye to complete his poetry collection: Scoping Map.
Established by Dr Usman Ladipo Akanbi, the Imodoye Writers Residency is a private initiative for writers and visual artists keen on completing their ongoing work in a conducive environment at no cost. And as part of giving back to the community, during their stay in the residency, the writers are expected to mentor secondary school students in Ilorin in creative art/writing.
Reading is a passion that every human needs to have to differentiate himself from other living creatures. Reading sharpens the brain of a reader. It makes him think in a different way compared to those who aren’t reading. One has to read to gain wisdom and even the life experiences of more than a million imaginary characters. For those reasons and many more, I said — read! Read! Read! And never stop reading.
People wonder how can a man with a wife, a business, and a life full of struggles dare to say that he has read hundreds of books in a year. Yes, it is possible if you know what the true definition of time management is.
Time management is the only phenomenon that helps everybody to do many things without even realising he did a lot. Plan your reading exercise, Have a timetable, and tell yourself that you can, then move on.
You can master any kind of skill if you do it repeatedly. So, if you read today and tomorrow, you will be a rocket reader. I can remember when I was in secondary school SS2, I read a book to some of my friends. I was reading it one day, “I swear you just held the book, but you were not reading from it”, Abdulmalik Ibrahim said, “He was my friend at school”.
“I was reading from it”, I said. He collected the book. Trying to prove me wrong. In the end, he proved himself wrong and said, “Why are you here? You should be an art student. So that you can study journalism”. He told me.
“Reading is my cup of tea, and I couldn’t do without it. I read a book in a single sitting because I don’t support cliffhangers. I must see the end of the story if I start reading it”, I told him. “Allah ya taimaki aku!” he said. We laughed.
I told them that I could not enter a toilet, eat food or sit down without reading something. Before, I was blamed at home for going toilet with a book, but now I have softcopies. Your phone can be your library in this 21st century!
So, you too can have speed in reading texts. I finished reading my first three books this year. I didn’t pen this to tell you that I am reading but rather to help inculcate reading culture within our blessed community. And tell people that if a dull young boy like me can do this, then everyone can do it.
Amidst public outrage, the Kaduna State Executive Council, under Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i, has rescinded its decision on the collection of nominal fees in senior secondary schools across the state.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication), Mr Muyiwa Adekeye on Tuesday said, “the Council observed that the circular issued by the Ministry of Education to school principals on collection of nominal fees is not consistent with government policy, and is thus invalid. The circular from the Ministry of Education to the heads of schools, dated 1st November 2022, is therefore rescinded with immediate effect, and all monies that may have been collected should be refunded forthwith”.
Adekeye further reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to providing free primary, secondary and technical/vocational education to every child resident in the state.
It would be recalled that a memo emanated from the State Ministry of Education imposed the payment of nominal fees to all students of senior public secondary schools in the state.
This article may ruffle feathers and annoy some people, but it is done with good intentions. I have observed youths’ excitement and political campaigns for presidential candidates on different social media platforms. In some cases, friends and associates have turned to foes for having opposing views on their candidates. Some even terminate a business relationship because of politics.
Indeed, I am aware of the difficulties faced by the people, especially the increasing cost of living worsened by inflation. Nigerians are suffering because of the bad economic policies of the present government and the ongoing depreciation of the Naira, which has plunged millions of people into poverty. In other words, people’s living standards are getting worse, as life was better a decade ago than now.
First, I want to clarify that I’m not too fond of politics and have no interest in any presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. However, as a Nigerian, I am a bit worried about how our people campaign for their candidates on social media platforms. Some clerics have gone to the extent of warning people not to vote for candidates outside their region. Unfortunately, the northern youth have not learnt any lesson in the last seven years.
The fact of the matter is that the current structure and governance system only benefits the elite and their cronies, as well as a coterie of aides, while most people are pauperized. The northern youths who are dissipating energy on these presidential candidates should note that the elite do not care about them but their aggrandizement. The northern political elites are hiding under the name “Arewa” to deceive the masses while using proceeds of corruption to buy properties in London, Dubai, New York, Kuala Lumpur and Paris.
Have they pondered to ask why public universities were closed for eight months, and the elite did not see the urgency to address the plight of the striking lecturers? Has the life of an ordinary northerner improved in the last seven years, although President Muhammad Buhari is in power? Was there any economic transformation in the North in the previous seven years? In my 12 years of experience as a journalist in Nigeria and my interaction with politicians and government officials, I have concluded that politics will not rescue the North, but only an attitudinal change towards entrepreneurship and commerce will change the narrative.
Attitudinal change towards entrepreneurship/commerce
I have never seen a society transformed based on political patronage. I have never seen a prosperous community due to its people being fixated on political power. So let me clarify that our fixation on political power will not save the North. It will not take millions of children out of the streets or rescue our economy.
Our focus should be on improving our economy, empowering women through education, and creating businesses and initiatives that will improve the general well-being of our people. I have seen many cases of global transformation based on entrepreneurship and commerce. For example, we have all witnessed China’s transformation based on the manufacturing and development of small and medium-scale enterprises. This is also the case with countries in South East Asia such as South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the youths’ personal development and self-reliance. The idea of depending on politicians for handouts instead of pursuing self-reliance in the North should be de-emphasized. No society has prospered based on such practices of handing out peanuts to hangers for survival.
Acquisition of vocational/ digital skills
Our focus and pursuit of political power have never helped us in the past, and they will not help us going into the future. It only helped to enrich the northern political elite and establishment at the expense of the majority. What will save us is a society with an amalgamation of empowered youths equipped with the requisite education and modern skills relevant to the global economy.
I want to reiterate that our youth should learn vocational skills to support themselves and stop wasting their time blaming their relatives for not helping them or sitting in “Majalisa”. Academically inclined people should learn digital skills offline or online to get remote jobs or fend for themselves. They can also learn digital skills for free on platforms like Coursera, Simplilearn, Udemy, and Udacity, among others. I am appealing to northern youths not to waste their time antagonizing friends and associates over these charlatans masquerading as leaders.
Aminu Mohammed is at the Kiel School of Sustainability, Chrtistan Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com.
Persons with disability, otherwise known as differently-abled individuals, encounter immense challenges that leave them at the mercy of socioeconomic underdevelopment. Due to their disabilities, they often struggle to survive. Those with profound physical challenges, especially blindness, spinal cord, leprosy, and cerebral palsy, cannot but resort to financial dependency to survive.
Consequently, street begging, considered taboo in some societies, is rampant among persons with a disability thanks to the lack of governmental and societal support towards the welfare of persons with disability.
Apart from persons with hearing impairment, most persons with a disability depend on begging to survive as they are not physically fit to do some work. What is more worrisome, to say the least, is the fact that many persons with disability family men struggle to ensure end meets. Some would have to go to big cities where people are more charitable to do begging and return home as soon as they are financially well-off.
In some cities like Lagos and Abuja, where many persons with disability make substantial income, the ban on street begging has been imposed. Thus, the sources of livelihood of these people are adversely affected.
Although street begging is a condemnable offence, the imposition of such a ban without proffering any practical solution to the problem is seriously unfair, and almost cruel.
Even though this lingering problem can be resolved by establishing Social Security Disability Benefits, the needs of persons with disability can not be totally satisfied, thanks to Nigeria’s economic feeble.
All persons with disabilities need education and skills to become financially, economically and intellectually independent. Disability is no longer a barrier to education since the inception of special education in Nigeria in the middle of the nineteenth century.
The government of all levels should do everything possible to make education accessible for all persons with disability. Many special schools should be constructed and well-equipped with special instruments and materials.
Parents with children with disabilty should do the needful by sending them to school where they will acquire sound knowledge that will enable them to turn their disabilities into abilities.
Education is compulsory for all persons with disability. When all persons with disability are educated, life will become easy for them. They won’t have to roam on the street begging. Even if they are unemployed, they can start their own business and get as much money as they like.
Ibrahim Tukur is a 400-level deaf student at Bayero University, Kano. He is a disability rights advocate and proponent of deaf children’s education. He wrote via inventorngw@gmail.com.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the lingering security challenge in Nigeria had weakened the country’s education system.
The minister said the insecurity in the country also contributed to the rising number of out-of-school children today.
He disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the ministerial session of the 66th National Council on Education (NCE).
In the event themed ‘Strengthening of Security and Safety in Nigerian Schools for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda, Adamu said the issue would soon be addressed.
He added that President Buhari’s administration was working tirelessly to reduce the number of out-of-school children and the illiteracy level in the country.
He said, “I’d like to call on all states to rise up to their responsibilities and provide a safe and secure learning environment for both students and teachers.”
Furthermore, the education minister also said that all schools must be safe and secure at all costs.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in late December 2019 has wreaked havoc worldwide, especially in critical sectors like education. Students, schools, colleges, and universities have been deeply affected. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), over 800 million learners from around the world have been affected, 1 in 5 learners cannot attend school, 1 in 4 cannot attend higher education classes, and over 102 countries have ordered nationwide school closures while 11 have implemented localized school closure.
The sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, which originated in the city of Wuhan, China, has become a major public health challenge for China and countries worldwide. The pandemic has led to the total lockdown of most human activities in various parts of the world. Infection control measures were necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further and to help control the epidemic. One of the control measures is the total lockdown of schools at various levels worldwide on March 19, 2020. Through the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigerian government ordered the closure of all schools at various levels.
There is no doubt that the interference of the coronavirus pandemic has caused so many challenges in the Nigerian education system. Covid-19 has had an enormous negative impact on education at every level worldwide. Education is among the sectors with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the Nigerian education system adopted a face-to-face approach to teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools.
Primary and secondary school learners were not allowed to own any digital gadgets such as phones or computers. With the emergence of the lockdown condition and school closure, teachers and learners were helpless about how to continue learning in the face of the pandemic following the pandemic. In many African countries, the pandemic experience has been traumatic but not perhaps as catastrophic as some observers and experts had predicted. Mistakes were made, but there were notable successes too. Some African governments and institutions took steps that showed the sort of foresight, imagination, and innovation that was often lacking in other parts of the world.
It is on record that education challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic include school closures. So as not to spread the virus, the students and everyone else were advised to stay at home and have classes online instead for those who are able. The lack of face-to-face interaction and poor facilities sometimes led to poor learning. There was also unequal access to education opportunities and poor skills. As I stated earlier, not every pupil had access to gadgets, so there would be unequal knowledge gain or inequality in education.
Furthermore, the pandemic negatively affects education, causing poor school enrollment and poor achievement because proper attention was not given to schools at that time. Poor school health and challenges in school assessment and transition. This was a challenge because some students were not a part of it, which led to chaos and confusion after the resumption. Also, schools weren’t going at the same pace because some were in their first term while others were already getting promoted. In this direction, Nigeria should put in place measures that will help to tackle such situations in the future, considering the negative impact of Covid-19 on education in Nigeria.
Maryam Mohammed Bawa wrote from the Department of Mass Communication,Skyline University, Nigeria. She sent this article via magicwriter009@gmail.com.
Dreaming big gives one a sense of accomplishment even if the dream didn’t come true. Interestingly, when people dream, they set their sights on something bigger than their imagination, even when it may seem practically impossible. This gives them the motivation and willpower to make changes and take action towards actualizing their dreams. The Nigeria of my dream should be a poverty-free, or poverty-reduced Nigeria, educated Nigeria, peaceful Nigeria, rich infrastructural Nigeria, and should be Nigeria with massive opportunities for its teeming population. A highlight of these in no particular order is given;
1. Poverty-free or reduced poverty state: Several countries at various levels of development have shown in the last few decades that it is possible to successfully reduce the level of poverty in a country. However, with the pace of reduction slowing in recent years, poverty is becoming increasingly concentrated in tough-to-reach places. This comes amidst uncertainties that the entire world is facing. From high inequality to slow growth, from macroeconomic imbalances to trade tensions, challenges loom on the horizon that can not only make it difficult to reduce extreme poverty but threaten to reverse the gains. While we have a set of policies that can help to effectively reduce poverty, each policy intervention should be tailored to the needs of Nigerians. I want a Nigeria that is not associated with a host of health risks, including high rates of heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, infant mortality, mental illness, malnutrition, lead poisoning, asthma, and dental problems. Obviously, poverty exerts heavy tolls upon those who fall within its traps. For example, one of the most consistent findings in epidemiology is that the quality of an individual’s health is negatively affected by lower socioeconomic status, particularly impoverishment.
There have been several attempts to quantify the cost of poverty in terms of monetary amount. However, the ability to estimate the magnitude of the costs surrounding an issue like that of poverty is exceedingly complex. Poverty affects every Nigerian, whether rich or poor. Again, issues such as crime, access to and affordability of health care, religious fanaticism, ethnic bigotry and job productivity, to name but a few, are the major concerns of all Nigerians. All these as a result of the monster – poverty. The general public winds up paying a heavy price for allowing poverty to walk naked in the streets of Nigeria.
2. Educated Nigeria: A Nigeria without lingering ASUU strike will be truly interesting. If this is achieved, there will be a greater chance of producing more capable graduates. There is also a greater chance that degree holders will have full-time jobs that will ultimately provide health insurance and retirement benefits. With an educated Nigeria, there is going to be more employment opportunities for our teeming population, especially the youth. At present, you often need to compete with hundreds of other equally qualified candidates for a single job position.
In addition to this, the lower the education level, the greater the number of people applying for the same low-paying entry-level post. However, with the right qualifications and educational background, you are likely going to increase your chances of landing a fulfilling job. Would you like to stand out from a pool of applicants? Educate yourself, graduate, get as many qualifications, and learn valuable skills as much as possible.
Also, an educated Nigeria will help in securing a higher income; people with higher education and varied experience are more likely to get high-paying jobs. Dedicate your time and effort to acquire contemporary knowledge and high-level competencies if you would like to lead a comfortable lifestyle. Your credentials are what will motivate a potential employer to choose you instead of others. Studying hard throughout your schooling shows you can handle workloads and you are able to fulfil your goals. Employers see this as a huge advantage as they prefer a responsible and knowledgeable workforce. Once you graduate, you can start searching for jobs that will give you the opportunity to practice what you have learned and, at the same time, secure sufficient pay for your needs.
An Educated Nigeria will provide problem-solving skills. One of the benefits of education is that the educational system teaches us how to develop critical thinking skills so we can be able to make independent decisions. When children become adults, they are faced with lots of challenging issues – paying off their student loans, getting a job, buying a car and a house, catering for their family, etc.
However, if one has spent years educating himself. They should be able to make sound decisions on these various quandaries. Not only are people able to form their own opinions, but also good at finding solid and reliable arguments and evidence to back up and confirm their decisions.
Literate Nigeria will help in improving the economy. People with good academic and educational backgrounds tend to get well-paid jobs. The higher their education and accomplishments, the better employment chances they get. People who grew up poor but educated themselves have a high chance to transform their lives, thus decreasing society’s poverty rates. Education helps countries grow economically since it is about getting knowledge and being able to apply it wisely in our lives and, at the same time, improving other peoples lives.
Truly, education helps in providing a prosperous and happy life. Education has always secured respect from society. In order to ensure a comfortable lifestyle, people should educate themselves to be successful and satisfied. It helps gain a better reputation and increases the chances of climbing the career ladder more easily and faster. It provides financial resources for stable lives people can afford to buy their own house or apartment, thus securing their children’s happiness and success. Furthermore, being able to own a house provides stability and increases self-confidence. It also leads to creating a positive environment for families and communities. Children of homeowners are 116% more likely to graduate from college than children of renters of the same age, race, and income. According to research at the University of Tennessee, they are also 25% more likely to graduate from high school and have higher math and reading scores, with fewer behavioural problems.
Education contributes immensely to society. How does education benefits society? Educated people understand how valuable living in a stable and secure community is. They are more prone to taking part in projects that help improve not only their neighbourhood but also their society. In addition, when people are able to afford their own house, they are more likely to take part not only in improving their homes but in solving local problems, as well. After all, it is quite important to get involved and give a hand to the less fortunate ones in order to build a better place for all of us to live.
Education is the key to modern Nigeria. Education is the key essence of modern society. One needs to learn about culture, history and other important aspects so that they would be able to contribute to modern society. Education moulds people into leaders not only with knowledge about (college) subjects, but it also shows them how to lead with emotions and true values. Educated people can easily differentiate between right and wrong. Thus, education helps reduce the crime rate. Bad events are happening around the world only competent leaders can help guide us on the good and right path.
Digital Nigeria is possible if we become a literate society. Digital education helps connect with people and organizations around the world. Borders are no longer there. Communicating and sharing opinions with people from other countries and cultures widens horizons and helps us understand and appreciate each other.
Education creates equal opportunities. The importance of education in society has always been great as it is irrespective of caste, race, gender, or religion. Educated people are treated as equals on the basis of their knowledge and competence. In addition to this, educated people are open-minded and are able to listen and accept other peoples views regardless of the fact of how different they are. Education offers the possibility to live independently and thus be free. It is our shelter against financial storms and wrong decisions.
Education helps in initiating empowerment projects; in introducing empowerment, education is the key to turning a weakness into a strength. It offers different tools and ways to understand problems that lay ahead of us and help resolve them. More importantly, education provides us with the considerable mental agility to make the right decisions and spring into action when needed. Many types of research show that educated women can more easily stand up against gender bias and marital violence as they have improved their decision-making capabilities. Whether it is about respect, a higher position in society and a professional environment, financial security, family stability, education provides all of these and much more. Home stability provided by owning a home helps children who grew up in their own houses or apartments become more successful. They are more likely to graduate high school (25%) and finish college (116%). As Nelson Mandela said, education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. Education helps people become better citizens, get better-paid jobs, and shows the difference between good and bad. Education shows us the importance of hard work and, at the same time, helps us grow and develop. Thus, we are able to shape a better society to live in by knowing and respecting rights, laws, and regulations. Learning languages through educational processes helps interact with different people in order to exchange ideas, knowledge, and good practices. It teaches us to live in harmony.
4. A peaceful Nigeria: I want a united working Nigeria where I can relate with my friends and brothers from six geopolitical zones, the North Central (NC), North East (NE), North West (NW), South West (SW), South East (SE) and South-South (SS) freely as One.
A banditry-free Nigeria
A Nigeria free from ISIS, Boko Haram, kidnapping, sara-suka, phone snatchers, IPOB and any terror group that is threatening peaceful coexistence.
A Nigeria that guarantees the safety of travelling by road and by rail as well, a Nigeria where one can hold an iPhone by the street making calls or chatting without fear of losing it to phone snatchers.
I want a Nigeria that’s free from sexual abuse, a Nigeria that’s free from domestic violence and disturbances.
5. Rich infrastructural Nigeria: I pray one day I’ll wake up to a Nigeria that has become like China economically, as it’s now the wealthiest nation in the world according to McKinsey & Co report.
I want Nigeria to be as beautiful as Italy because Italy is truly the most beautiful country. It flaunts the most inspiring cultural treasures and magnificent scenery, which you cannot find anywhere in the world, e.g., Venice, Florence and Rome; with their diverse Architecture, Tuscany, with its rolling hills, will surely mesmerize its visitors.
I have a dream that one day Nigeria will possess technological expertise like that of Japan, not even South Korea or China, the United States, or Germany, talk less of Russia, the United Kingdom (UK) or Singapore; it was ranked eighth in the list of world countries with amazing technological expertise.
6. A Nigeria with many opportunities for the youth without connection: Nigeria’s popular saying says, “it’s not what you know, its who you know. On several accounts, many people were denied job opportunities not because they were not qualified but because they knew nobody. Even the lecturing job was denied to many finest brains and given to those with connections; it got to the extent that grades can be manipulated for some reasons; a friend of mine was almost denied first class if not because of the connection he has with school management. Such a problem is all over the country and is beyond any denial. Many people are buying offers of appointment in several ministries, and those who sell the offers do not care whether you can deliver or not, so far as the price is good.
I also hope Nigeria will one day be one of those countries that look for expertise, not only connections, as is the case today.
Finally, the Nigeria of my dreams is possible when we deliberately choose not to repeat the mistakes we made in choosing leaders for our country.
