Prof. Joseph Onuoha
University lecturer, Prof Joseph Onuoha has said that Nigeria’s educational assessment system, which focuses only on the head instead of the whole human being, had led to the nation’s backwardness in social development.
Onuoha said Nigeria is in doldrums because of this deficit in the educational system, which does not improve its students’ social development capacity. He made the assertion in Nsukka on Thursday while delivering the university’s 219th inaugural lecture titled” Where? Why? and How? Understanding the Socio-economic Problems of Nigeria.”
Onuoha, a Lecturer at the Department of Social Science Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka said that education was the bedrock of development, and education devoid of social development is of no use. He said: “Overhauling the Nigerian educational system would make graduates job creators instead of job seekers.
“Nigeria needs value reorientation as people now believe that education is a scam because graduates go about looking for collar job that are not there.” He said that many of the country’s critical socioeconomic problems are man – made and could be overcome if confronted with right solutions and right attitude.
The don emphasised on overhauling of the education system, nurturing innovation and creativity, utilising technology in education, optimising governance and accountability in education sector. According to him, “Harnessing human capital development and advancing public private partnership (PPP) in education can be a starting point.
“To achieve this, all hands in the country must be on deck,” Onuoha noted that the country was at a crossroads facing a myriad of socioeconomic challenges that have hindered national development as a result of corruption.
“The prevalence of corruption, insecurity, economic instability, moral decadence have significantly affected our national existence including education,” he said.
He said that part of the reasons the country is where it is today was because of failure of the education system which remained the bedrock of national development in any country. He said: “Education is the bedrock of national development in any country yet education in our country has been marred by systemic failures.
“Education in our country is characterised by outdated curriculum, poor teaching methods, poor assessment methods, poor reading habits, poor infrastructure as well as poor salary and welfare of teachers.”
The inaugural lecturer noted that for Nigeria to exit its present education problems, the sector must produce graduates equipped with the required skills, values and knowledge necessary for national development and growth.
“To achieve this, I suggest we use the ONUOHA model for sustainable development. Overhauling the education system, nurturing innovation and creativity, utilising technology in education, optimising governance and accountability in education, harnessing human capital development and advancing Public Private Partnership (PPP) in education,” he said.
Onuoha expressed appreciation to management of UNN for finding him worthy to deliver the 219th inaugural lecture of the university. Earlier in a remark, the Acting Vice-chancellor of UNN, Prof Oguejiofo Ujam, said that the inaugural lecture of the University remained an avenue to educate the university community and general public on vital issues.
The VC who was represented by Prof Chike Ofuebe, the Chairman, UNN Senate Ceremonial Committee described Onuoha as an erudite and intellectual giant who had contributed immensely in his chosen field of specialisation.
