Nigeria is a peculiar country filled with contradictions. While the number of educated individuals with high qualifications is increasing, there is little evidence to suggest that education is positively influencing morals, discipline, respect, good orientation, principles, civility, and public conduct.
One striking observation is the deterioration of the civil space, which is increasingly dominated by toxic exchanges and the rise of ethnic social media warriors. The reason for this is not far-fetched. The surge in political awareness and citizen participation, along with the proliferation of youth groups, community organizations, and political associations, has created platforms for engagement and opinion-sharing. While this development is commendable, it is being undermined by the growing tendency to embrace the negative aspects of politics, where emotional outbursts and divisive rhetoric often overshadow meaningful discourse.
In politics, emotional and subjective arguments tend to carry more weight than balanced or objective discussions. Strong words, bias, and passionate exchanges are often seen as marks of strength, courage, and ethnic loyalty. These attributes tend to attract admiration and popularity, often at the expense of moderation. Consequently, the rise in political consciousness and participation is being shaped by a new norm—one that glorifies emotional defense of ethnic identities while promoting stereotypes, malice, ethnic profiling, and outright contempt for opposing views.
With the expansion of social media, increased political interest, and the professionalization of politics as a lucrative career, almost everyone now identifies as either a politician or a journalist. Unfortunately, this has led to an erosion of the true essence of education, which emphasizes selflessness, moderation, morality, truth, fairness, and integrity. The growing trend of framing national debates as “us versus them” narratives diminishes objectivity and decorum in public discourse.
Another major concern is the issue of unemployment. Nigeria currently faces an alarming unemployment crisis. Without the need for official statistics, the evidence is clear from the widespread circulation of job advertisements and frequent disclaimers from government agencies warning against fake job postings targeting desperate job seekers. This paradox raises questions about the effectiveness of education. Ideally, education should produce self-reliant individuals and employers of labor, rather than increasing dependency. Ironically, Nigeria had more job opportunities in the past when formal education and qualifications were less prevalent, suggesting that education has not necessarily improved the situation.
A senior colleague once pointed out that linking Boko Haram, banditry, and kidnapping to out-of-school children is misleading. The country was far more secure during the First and Second Republics when fewer people had access to Western education. Today, those engaged in cybercrimes, cultism, child trafficking, ritual killings, fraud, and the spread of fake news are often not illiterates. The inability of education to reform or replace faulty societal values undermines its purpose.
As educational awareness grows, there is an increasing tendency to equate academic qualifications with leadership quality. However, there is little evidence to support the notion that educated leaders necessarily promote better governance or reduce corruption. For instance, it is difficult to argue convincingly that Anambra State under Professor Charles Soludo, an accomplished economist, has demonstrated significantly better governance than it did under Peter Obi, who had comparatively lower academic qualifications. The absence of a clear correlation between academic achievements and governance quality raises doubts about the true impact of education.
In recent years, widespread disillusionment with democracy has led some Nigerians to romanticize military rule. The ongoing debate over the most suitable system of government for Nigeria reflects the fact that education has not provided clarity or consensus on this issue.
Despite growing awareness of technological advancements and discussions about economic development, Nigeria continues to struggle with fundamental challenges such as non-functional refineries, high communication tariffs, soaring food prices, and rising transportation costs. These economic struggles, which persist despite increased literacy levels, further question whether education has truly helped.
Nigeria once operated a parliamentary system with regional governments led by young leaders who lacked high academic qualifications. Today, the same failed system that was abandoned in favor of presidential governance is once again being considered a viable alternative. This cycle of trial and error suggests that education has not effectively guided national decision-making.
Young people are often regarded as enterprising, innovative, and agents of positive change. While the older generation is frequently criticized for lacking commitment to good governance and patriotism, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that younger leaders, despite their higher levels of education, possess superior character, fairness, or competence to drive meaningful public reforms.
In conclusion, despite increasing political awareness, participation, and literacy levels, there is no significant correlation between education and improvements in civil engagement, public morality, or leadership quality in Nigeria. Tensions, malice, hate speech, stereotypes, and divisive rhetoric continue to dominate public discourse, even among political leaders and representatives.
While Nigerians are more politically engaged than ever, this has not translated into improved civil dialogue or leadership behavior. The political space remains characterized by misinformation, personal attacks, and hostility, all of which undermine meaningful discourse and cooperation.
There is little evidence to suggest that higher literacy levels have fostered a more ethical or responsible citizenry. Corruption, nepotism, and a lack of accountability persist, despite the rising number of educated individuals. Furthermore, increased political participation has not necessarily improved intergroup relations or reduced discrimination.
It is imperative for politicians and self-appointed ethnic champions to embrace fairness, objectivity, morality, respect, moderation, positive emotions, selflessness, and integrity. These values are essential in curbing tensions, rivalry, malice, groupthink, and the propagation of one-sided narratives that fuel division and sabotage national unity.
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