COVID–19: Universities In Nigeria Are Whitewashed Sepulchres By Promise Eze
It’s saddening to note that when the deadly COVID–19 virus struck Nigeria, our universities shut down alongside nursery and primary schools. No room was provided for e-learning. Nigerian students are glued to their houses waiting for when they’ll frog leap to school while their counterparts in the Western world are receiving lectures online. Education in saner climes has gone digital but in Nigeria the case is different.
Truth be told, in terms of tertiary education, Nigeria is lagging behind. We may be in the 21st century but our universities are manned as if we were in the 17th century.
Our universities are whitewashed sepulchres, beautiful outside but stinking inside. Universities in Europe and America are in the search for a solution to the COVID–19 pandemic but the brains of professors and researchers have gone on self–isolation. What is the use of certificates if they do not bring solutions to real life problems?
The average Nigerian lecturer takes pride in attending conferences, writing papers and earning certificates. To him that is his utmost purpose in life and it’s a big shame. Lecturers in other parts of the world attend conferences and symposiums. They also earn certificates too. But the striking difference between a typical Nigerian lecturer and a lecturer somewhere in America is that the latter uses his knowledge to bring a positive difference in society while the latter uses his knowledge to boost his ego.
Why do we wait for WHO and other international organizations to tell us what to do? Why do we fold our arms and watch as the western world seeks a cure and a vaccine for the virus? Don’t we have scientists too? The answer is not far fetched. Our researchers and scientists were taught how to read and pass exams rather than finding solutions to real life problems.
Even though the traditional medicine against COVID–19 brewed indigenously in Madagascar has not been approved by the WHO, researchers and scientists in Madagascar should be given a standing ovation. With no single COVID–19 related death, I can boldly claim that the traditional medicine is effective. Which one has our own scientists manufactured? The root of the problem lies in our universities which teach people how to read and cram than how to think critically and respond decisively to problems.
The more our universities are inefficient, the more the problems in Nigeria fester.
The universities in Nigeria need an overhaul.
