Dr Shina Amoo has urged the federal government, 36 governors in Nigeria and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja, Nyesom Wike, to declare a state of emergency on education in Nigeria.
He called for the deployment of pragmatic and proactive strategies to advance the education system so as to improve the quality of education in the country.
He spoke on Wednesday in an interview with journalists after he bagged a Ph.D in Business Administration during the convocation of the Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Amoo, who also is Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, of Mania Petroleum Marketing Company Limited, urged the government and other education administrators to enhance the acquisition of skill development and entrepreneurship in the education system.
He noted that such would reduce graduate unemployment and rather make the graduate become self-reliant, job creators and even employers of labour.
He also said that ‘Japa’ syndrome is inimical to national growth and individual development.
He warned against Nigerians immigrating to other countries in search of greener pastures as according to him, many people had fallen victims and languished in hardships and regrets after selling their possessions.
He urged Nigerians to tap into the opportunities that are available in the country.
“Japa” is a popular Yoruba slang term in Nigeria, which roughly translates to “to flee” or “to escape” in English. In recent times, it has gained widespread usage, particularly among young Nigerians, to describe the act of leaving the country, usually in search of better opportunities abroad.
The term “Japa” is often used in informal conversations, social media, and online forums, where people discuss their plans or experiences of relocating to other countries, often due to the challenging economic and social conditions in Nigeria. So, if someone says, “I’m planning to Japa,” it means the person is planning to leave Nigeria for another country.
The Ph.D holder also called for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and more use of information communication technology in our educational institutions.
He, however, advised that the adoption of AI such be in such a way that it does not make pupils and students lazy and mentally redundant.
Amoo also Chairman Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ore Depot, said he aspires to become an associate professor so that he can impact his knowledge on the students and help mould them to become useful citizens of the country.
He said: “Skills development and entrepreneurship are other key areas. Some of our children are willing to become business gurus while still in school. With skill development and entrepreneurship, a lot of them will be happy.
“Many children do not want to apply to any company after graduation. They want to get a certificate and do business or some skills such as tailoring. I know of somebody who after graduation from university opened a shop, doing sowing of clothes and she is making her money. We give her a lot of referrals and she has many customers who are patronizing her.
“So she does not need to be employed. Infact she has become an employer of labour. Likewise entrepreneurship. Many graduates have gone into business and made it. Some of them prefer it to japa.
“We do not need Japa syndrome. Many of them who emigrated abroad are just dying there. Some of them are idle or not doing anything meaningful simply because what they expected was not what they got when they reached there.”
He added: “Our graduates should be innovative enough and make use of the great opportunities in Nigeria. We should be able to tap available opportunities in our country rather than running away from the country. I am happy to bag Ph.D in Business Administration from Lead City University, Ibadan. It is a dream fulfilled.
“It is something that I have been targeting from childhood. I have been carrying a title from a childhood of ‘oba academics’ rather than a chieftaincy title. I have now achieved the feat. I made a professional achievement of becoming a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE). My major target is to become a professor. I will try to achieve it, at least to deliver to the youths the knowledge that I have acquired so that I will have an opportunity to become an associate professor. This is my target and my dream.
“The educational sector should be improved upon. A statement of emergency should be declared in the educational sector. If you look around, a lot of people are taking their wards and children abroad for learning either secondary or Tertiary education. This is not a major thing to contribution to national development. It is very important for us to ensure the development of the educational sector in the country.
“Federal and state government should declare a state of emergency on education. They should improve the stomach infrastructure or improve the welfare of the teachers or lecturers and other personnel in the learning institution. They should be allowed to enjoy being a teacher or a lecturer but if you expect to see a situation where a politician HND or OND is earning N15,000,000 and a teacher is earning less than N200,000. What are you expecting? Schools are nowhere you will be expecting PR, bribes or any of such offers.
“Teachers will only teach and go back home, except you go with the method of teachers selling puff-puff, biscuits and other wares alongside teaching. Many teachers do not read again to gain more knowledge. What will encourage them to read or research when they are not well-paid or well-motivated?
“There is a difference between ability and willingness. If somebody is willing to perform it is different from the ability of the person to perform. He may have the competence to discharge his duties by his professional training but what about the willingness to perform that duties, teach and take care of the children well.”
Amoo further said: “It is also important to improve on information and communication technology. A lot of things are going on in the area of artificial intelligence because it brings laziness to our youth. At the same, there should be a way the government will go around it that will make the students focus on their academics.
“Government should devise strategies that will ensure that AI does not lead to educational backwardness and laziness among Nigerian youth because if nothing is being done, it will lead to serious laziness and backwardness.
“You will see, for instance, a mathematical question being solved by AI whereas we need our children to know the rudiments of Mathematics to be able to solve questions very well. But children will now learn the rudiments and steps. They will see the question solved by the system without any stress on them. This will not help us.
“But we still need to include AI in the system of education but it should be moderated in such a way that students and pupils do not become lazy.
“When the computer was introduced into the education system, there were ways that the education authorities blocked some applications from children using them but they still used computers. So they can also devise a means to do that it such that AI will work in the school system without allowing pupils or students become corrupted or made lazy.”
