NIGER DELTA CASE STUDY

AN INDEPT ANALYSIS OF THE NIGER DELTA EDUCATION SETBACK WHICH RESULT TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS IN THE REGION

Since after the Nigerian Civil War of 1967, highly respected and renowned educationists and employers of the Niger Delta region whose parents could afford their University and other Tertiary education, misl-informed the Niger Delta Youths  to disregard certificate, Diploma and Degree  earned through distance learning or correspondence. According to them, credentials earned through this method will not be recognized by the government in case of employment, adding that they (the Niger Delta Youths) must follow the same sphere  that they were educated, that is by enrolling in a recognized University or other Tertiary institution either campus based or part-time, both home or abroad which became the Niger Deltans Philosophy and had gone deep into their brain.

Consequently, these graduate employers that passed through the traditional university education process, became a Watch Dog for the type of Degree or Certificate to be presented for employment thereby discriminating against Certificates and Degrees.           

So they make it mandatory for all Niger Deltan Youths to seek for admission into any of the established universities and other tertiary institutions both home and abroad either for campus based study or on a part-time basis.

Unfortunately, most parent cannot afford the  campus based traditional University or other Tertiary education because it is cost intensive dependent  on individual's economic and financial status. Consequently, students that passed out from the secondary school were forced to lean poor skill jobs called ‘hand work’  in order to earn a living such as road side mechanics, electricians, messing or bricklayers, radio or television  technicians, carpentry, bar and restaurants sales boys or sales girls and in retail business, hair dressers/barbing saloon, security officers etc.

Some of them that are employed to work in the government offices become clerks, messengers or cleaners, using their WAEC 'O’ Level or Primary Six First School Leaving Certificate, while those that graduated from Universities and other Tertiary institutions become their boss in the office.

Some find it  difficult  to further their education due to poor salary   couple with family's responsibilities. So they depend on mass promotion at the job place for salary increment based on   individual's certificate level and years of service.

Some of them that married could not afford to train their children in the universities or other tertiary institutions due to poor salary scale.These children also ended up with WAEC or Primary Six Certificate and married with children which they could not afford to train as well.  

 Consequently, in the Niger Delta region, you have a whole lot of people with only WAEC or Primary Six Certificate. If you carry out a research, you would see what I mean.  Large percentage of the Niger Deltans  are not properly educated and only few of them are graduated from the Universities or other  tertiary institutions like the Polytechnic; based on the fact that they cannot afford the high fees incurred and ignoring  the distance learning or correspondence education which is the cheapest and easiest way  to earn a University Degree or a higher level Certificate.

THE UNIVERSITY’S  EXTENSION CAMPUSES

The Niger Deltans were amazed to see the opening of University Extension Campuses in several cities and in some Rural Areas of the region. They could not believe their  own eyes based on the fact that they were mis-informed by their educationists and employers who had not enlightened them of the substantial  benefits of enrolling in a  distance learning programme to earn a  Degree or other higher certificate without  writing Jamb or UTME exams and without resigning from currently employment.

However, the presence of the University off campuses and Polytechnics for the first time in the  Niger Delta region created the awareness of  distance learning education programme  which at first was  considered as unacceptable and unrecognized method of leaning to earn a Degree and other qualifications. The tuition fees in the extended campuses and the related cost of study materials is considered cheaper  compare to the fees in the main campuses. This stems from the following factors:-

      

The lecturers in the extension campuses are ad hoc staff working on a part-time basis which bring the tuition fees to the barest minimum couple with the related study materials; while those in the main campuses are working full time placed on government salary scale which boiled down to high tuition  fees and other administrative cost to be borne by the students.

Since the cost is lesser,  most Niger Deltan youths including those working in  the government offices with WAEC 'O’ Level and in the companies  enrolled with the high expectation of earning a University Degrees  outside their main campus gates. No Jamb or UTME examination required.

But their joy was short lived as the former President Obasenjo Administration closed down these extended campus of the Universities  and the  polytechnics forcing the student to continue their education at the main campus instead.  This was indeed like a nightmare to the Niger Delta students that had enrolled.

Those that cannot afford the main campus based education dropped. Those that can afford continue with much stress. Those who cannot afford, loose all the monies that they had already paid.

Till today, so many of them refuse enrolling with any other distance learning institution believing that   same scenario  might  repeat itself. However, Niger Deltans have fully come to realize that one can also earn a University Degree or Diploma through distance learning education which at first was considered  to be unacceptable and unrecognized method of education.

 Still in the affirmative, the former Obasanjo Administration  for a substitute, introduced the National Open University with the main purpose of making university education available to all Nigerians without attending the traditional Universities or polytechnics. The tuition is carried out both online (internet based) and offline (through her extended campuses) solely operating  as a distance learning programme which also serve as an eye opener to most Niger Deltan educationists and employers who at first do neglect correspondence or distance learning education which is being  practiced even in the advanced nations since about a century ago.

NOW THE BIG QUESTION IS:

 Most Niger Deltans traveled to abroad and earned their Degree either in Europe or America, why can’t they Introduce the distance  learning or correspondence education in the region to encourage the less privilege  as some of them  ended up with WAEC ' O’ Level and some work to  earn  poor salary in government or company’s  offices.  Instead  of   encouraging them, they  want  everybody  attend the same  campus based university or polytechnic or fly to abroad to earn a degree, while they become their  lords in the government or company’s  office,  It baffles me a lot. This ugly behavior makes the Niger Deltans  become so backward in education, compare to those in the South-West and South-East  region of Nigeria that are over  flooding the labor market in the oil rich region
 .

THE LABOUR MARKET: THE SOUTH EAST AND SOUTH WEST DOMINANCE

Those Nigerians taking over the Niger Deltans jobs are predominately from the South-East and South-West.. Although, the North has the political influence over key job positions, yet they  are complemented by the South-East and South-West that already had the required academic qualifications and professional expertise to their great advantage quite unlike the Niger Deltans graduates that has the degree qualification but no job experience. What  you can find in their  portfolio is Degree certificate, HND OR OND, NYSC Certificate and Industrial Training certificate or letter for one year service.

Those from the South-East  and South-West enrolled in distance learning program in  pursuit  of their  career and  for job security  based on the fact that they supplement the traditional university education and polytechnic with distance learning program without resigning  from their job whose  curriculum vitae is filled with long list of Job experience span throughout  the years quite unlike the Niger Deltan graduate profile.
  
 Consequently, they  accelerate from primary Six  qualification to university Degree  and  back- up with  professional qualifications (as members of several professional bodies)  and from the position of a Messenger or Cleaner to the position of Manager or Director whose  opportunity  is not giving to  the Niger Delta youths who only possess their education through the traditional university system by studying  on campus either  part-time or  full-time and in the polytechnic.

 Evidently, most universities  in the South-West such as Obafemi Awolowo university  Ile Ife, University  of Ibadan, University of Lagos etc offer distance learning program through extended   campuses or through affiliation  to teaching institutions even before and after the Nigerian civil war. The South-East  indigence  based  in Lagos imitate  their educational pattern and also established distance learning program through the  Federal and State universities  located in the South-East region such as the University of Nigeria Nsukka,  Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Imo State University, Abia State University, etc and polytechnic  that has both off campuses and institutional affiliations but it is rare to see any Niger Delta based  university or polytechnic having off campus and institutional affiliation  in other states rather  they only focus on the one way method of learning that is by gaining admission through JAMB and UTME for campus based  study either part-time or full-time which is the foundation of their former educationists and employers both in  State Government offices and companies. 

Those educationists and employers in South-West and South-East have much regards for distance learning program and certificates or degrees obtained by their respective indigenes as some of them also passed through that same process to occupy key positions in the government offices and companies.

Consequently, they do not discriminate against certificates or degrees provided is obtained from a well recognized University or other tertiary institutions  offering distance learning or correspondence program, quite unlike in the Niger Delta region.

However, although this attitude has drastically  changed since the introduction of off campus based education and the establishment of the Open National University, it seems  too late for the Niger Deltans  to  compete favorably with those in the South-East and South-West in the labour market being the pioneer  of the  distance  learning  and corresponding education in Nigeria  and even in the production of highly  respected academicians such as  professors and professionals of world  class standard some of them are Consultants to the  world Bank, United Nations and other multilateral agencies. They dominate the labour  market  as  professionals in all fields and in  academics  which they imitate from  the western world by  combining  both distance learning  and campus based education together  unlike the Niger Delta educationalists and employers that deprived their youths from this golden opportunity which those in the South-East and South-West enjoy, focusing only  on campus based education part-time and full-time to gain admission through JAMB and UTME exams.
  
 This ugly situation   deprived the Niger Delta youths from employment in the region  consisting   of several multinational oil companies  and government  parastatals whose key positions are being occupied by those from the South-East and South-West regions that  already have  the requisite professional experience since over the years back up with professional qualification and university degree or equivalent  and can work in those position with less supervision as beneficiaries  of distance learning programme unlike  the Niger Deltan  youths who do not have  the required professional experience but only degree certificate.

 In most cases, they loose their job quotas to those from the South-East or South-West who occupy those vacant positions meant for the   Niger Deltans  based on the fact that, they do not have the opportunity to complement their job experience with academic or professional qualification through the correspondence or distance learning  program without resigning  from their job position unlike their counterpart from the South-West or South-East region. 

The employers in those companies  soliciting  for qualified applicants take advantage of those with the required job experience back up with the academic and professional qualification because it is cost  intensive  to employ and train graduates who do not have the job experience specially in key positions such as supervisors, managers, or directors preferably with several  years of job experience.

As of those from the South-East and South-West occupying those key positions, in  case of any subsequent employment opportunity, they bring in their brothers and sisters from their regions that are applicants  to work as  junior staff and some as graduates without job experience and they would do their best to retain them; consequently,  the Niger Deltas still stand the chance of losing their vacant job positions because those key positions are already occupied by those from the other regions that already had the qualifications and  experience through distance learning education.                 

THE ADVANTAGE OF DISTANCE LEARNING EDUCATION OVER TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITY

The traditional University and other Tertiary institutions are quite expensive to afford compare to the distance learning education based on the following factors:

The majority of the revenue generated by the traditional and other Tertiary institutions is used for payment of workers salaries both for the academic and the non-academic staff placed in the government salary scale ranging from grade level 01-16 and in most cases they complement their individual internal generated revenue with the Federal or State government budgetary allocation which is not enough.     

            

Consequently, it boils down to several industrial  strike since over the years which result to the influx of several Nigerian students in foreign countries for studies in which they considered having economic and political stability and without constraints in the pursuit  of their  educational carrier quite unlike Nigeria. Countries like Ghana, Europe and America have become the safe haven for Nigerian students studying abroad.

One of the advantages of the University off campus studies is that it is less expensive based on the fact that tuition is offered by the ad hoc staff that are not the university officials whose tuition fees is based on negotiation and are not under government  salary scale - working only on  a part-time basis.  Study materials are offered at a reduced rate compare to campus based study.

Gaining admission into traditional university or other Tertiary institution has a whole lot of complex procedure. Failure to pass JAMB and UTME exams in order to meet up the required cut of marks frustrate  lot of students who use several years to rewrite exams based on the fact that only limited numbers of students will be admitted to study either part-time or full-time in consideration of the workforce involved and  the limited numbers of the academic and non-academic staff, feeding and accommodation issue.

On the contrary, distance learning programme eliminate admission constraints and stringent  procedures. Students get direct admission  provided   they have the  required credentials to study in his or her own space of time. The school fee and other related materials are reduced to the barest  minimum in as-much-as  ad hoc staff are employed providing  quality tuition based on the  conventional university course outline and  graduates without resigning from current jobs,  therefore complementing his or her educational career with job experience and get  promoted to the next level.

THE ADVANTAGE OF UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION

The university extension Campus is different  from affiliation.  An institution can affiliate to any university or tertiary institution dependent on the courses or programme involved. Such affiliation could last for several years before the institution get the full accreditation  to award  a degree and became fully independent whose certificate or degree would be recognizes all over the world.

Niger Deltans should be encouraged to enroll with any institution that has a recognized University affiliation.

The University off campus based studies has the disadvantage that it is being controlled directly by the university officials and the State or Federal Government  and may decide to close such campus due to one reason or the other  as they did in the past during the Obasanjo Administration including polytechnics  but that is not the case with the affiliated institutions operating independently and can change over to another University for affiliation in case this is a disagreement between the University and the institution.

The University off campus students may be asked  to go to the main campus to continue their studies which may frustrate  lot of them and loose all monies they have paid. But student studying in the affiliated institutions will not experience such a scenario, rather  can shift over to any University or tertiary institution  either within Nigerian or abroad while the students continue their study without loosing any money only they could be  cost  difference which may more or less which may not be too much compare to the former University they had enrolled.

The new University they had enrolled must verify all of their transcripts  and other vital documents and then continue with them.  

It is possible to make such arrangement with another distance learning institution that has a recognized University affiliation.