BIP July 2020

As COVID-19 scourge continues to change the long existing global norms of socioeconomic activities, African Heritage Institution (AfriHeritage) Enugu, Nigeria at its premier virtual Big Ideas Podium (BIP) on Covid-19: Opportunities for Education and Sustainable Development in Nigeria held on July 23, 2020 has made a strong case for the total overhaul of the nation’s educational system. Although, the Nigeria educational sector has been facing numerous challenges, ranging from infrastructural deficiency, funding to insufficient support for technological innovations; the novel virus has further exposed the pathetic situation of the educational system in the country.

In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director, Prof. Ufo Okeke-Uzodike explained that COVID-19 has created a precarious situation in the educational system – forcing schools to halt its activities with little or no tangible efforts to show that Nigeria is on the track to fully adjust to the new normal. He emphasized the need for revamped curriculum at all levels of education, which should not only be a national agenda but serve as a link to transformative government in Nigeria.

Delivering the keynote speech, Prof. Gregory Ibe, Chancellor of Gregory University, Uturu identified the vulnerability of the education system in Nigeria, which has been brought to the fore by the pandemic. Prof Ibe showed the link between education and sustainable development in Nigeria, and emphasized the major focal point of concern as – all levels of education and their administrators. Using the five (5) pillars of sustainable develop (prosperity, people, peaceful co-existence, planet, partnership), the keynote speaker noted that education provides access to entrepreneurial skills, propels development at all spheres and removes primitivism in humans. In addition, he induced that the sustainable development goals (SDGs) 4 and 8 should be promoted in Nigeria.

Furthermore, Prof Ibe identified the following as consequences of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s education and sustainable development efforts:
 Techno-socio-economic disruption and health pandemic;
 Social consequences occasioned by disruption in education system;
 Inconsistency problems without credible exit strategy;
 Psychological impact of lockdown; and
 Fear in the air.

In his recommendations on the way forward, Prof Ibe explained that the use of technology as well as intensified online platforms will ensure continued education in Nigeria. In addition, he made a case for capacity building of both academic and non-academic staff at all levels of the educational system by Ministry of Education at federal and state levels. Other recommendations include: improved monitoring and evaluation; integration of the education system (synergy of public and private schools) as the way forward for education in Nigeria; outdated curriculum and poor remuneration of staff remain a challenge for the educational system and development in Nigeria.

Alluding to the Keynote speaker’s presentation, Prof Sunday Agwu, from Ebonyi State University and a paper discussant at the event gave a brief background of the educational curriculum at the tertiary level, as one that is mainly theoretical with no practicability or application to industries’ needs. Other areas of concern raised by Prof. Agwu are poor budget allocation for education in Nigeria – 7.4% of the national budget – as grossly inadequate to boost e-learning prospects. Besides, he highlighted lack of access to internet, infrastructural decay in educational institutions, lack of preparedness by teachers and financial constraint to purchase phone/laptops as challenges of e-learning. However, he suggested training of teachers, monitoring of online lectures, data concessions, reviewed curriculum and improved budgetary allocation to education as solutions to e-learning.

The two presentations by the keynote speaker and the paper discussant were complimented by comments from the participants, which included questions and contributions. Key highlights from participants amongst others are that government should support institutions to deploy the use of already available software for e-learning; re-adjusting TETFUND mandate (include private tertiary institutions) to widen the scope of impact. Beyond that, they recommended that government should declare national emergency on education in Nigeria to address the current situation.

The virtual event (zoom meeting) had a maximum of 100 registrations with more than 50% active throughout the two-hour programme.

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