Failure of Nigeria’s educational system: Lack of “Empathy” or mere “Illiteracy”?

By Caleb Onah

Several good decisions and policies have been made in the past but when decisions are made, including educational ones in the absence of empathy or empathic intelligence, it creates a corrupt system and future that indirectly affects us and not others. Hence, to cure Nigeria’s educational sector of this malady, we have to make very large self sacrifices in order to achieve a change in the system, sector or the society.
During a speech at Northwestern University, Barack Obama once said that there is a more pressing challenge in our society, federal and institutional arena which is the “empathy deficit”. According to the former US president, it is empathy that will bring together a nation divided by ethnicity, class and political ideologies.
An article published by Alan Kirman and Miriam Teschl, entitled “Selfish or Selfless? The Role of Empathy in Economics”. They argue that although empathy has been practised, and incorporated into every aspect of life to some extent throughout history, as well as in other policy areas, much of its application in the educational system and current world has faded away, which I will say is the case of Nigeria’s educational sector. In Nigeria, according to the latest World Bank records, as of November 2022, her literacy rate was 62% in 2018. According to verified Statista, 68% of young Nigerians in 2020 will have a secondary education. About 15% of them completed their primary education, while 17% went on to further education after high school.
According to UNICEF later sources, cited by Reliefweb, 18.5 million children were out of school in Nigeria as of May 2022. 60% of these children are girls and 20% of all Nigerian children are out of school in mid-2022. Statistics on the most educated states in Nigeria by their literacy level shows Lagos State is the most developed state in Nigeria, has a literacy rate of 96.30%, Imo State has a literacy rate of 96.43%. Enugu State has a literacy rate of 96.00%, home to the first Federal University in Nigeria. Rivers State’s literacy rate is 95.76%. Abia State is the 5th most educated state in Nigeria with a literacy rate of 94.24%. Akwa-Ibom State has a literacy rate of 93.00%. The literacy rate of Anambra State is 92.11%, Ogun State is 90.57%. Edo State has a literacy rate of 90.53% and Osun State has a literacy rate of 90.00%.
However, out of the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, it would not be a bad idea to say that the entire Nigerian education system is suffering from a multitude of problems and the situation is getting worse every day. Some of the problem which some of us have become aware of includes: lack of funding, lack of quality staff; inadequate facilities, lack of furnished and quality classrooms, offices and laboratories for teaching and research; indiscipline among staff and students; inconsistent and erroneous educational policies; corruption in high and low places; worship of authority figures; irregular pay; exam malpractices; sexual acts for grading; the use of ghost labour force; fake sourcing and the provision of resources; bogus education data; appointments and promotions based on ethnicity and tribes instead of base on merit; as well as trivialisation of retirement.
It should be noted that of all the issues, corruption is a widespread problem in the political and economic sphere of Nigeria. It is not contradictory to say that educationally, Nigeria is in chaos. Corruption is already deeply ingrained in the country’s institutional structures. But it becomes a more worrisome and tragic issue as it creeps into the educational sector. Understandably, corruption in politics is enough of a “tragedy” for a country as Nigeria; when practice in the educational sector is a “double tragedy”.
Unfortunately, it is also not out of place to say “educated illiteracy” and lack of “empathy” is what has pervaded Nigeria’s educational sector and continues to threaten economic growth. Because it has shown over the years no values to showcase leadership and initiative for growth and innovation in the sector or perhaps system by those concern, in policy making, and lack of common sense in ways to know that “one good turn deserves another” which why in a way critical thinking, empathy and cost-benefit analysis of others in today’s corrupt, polarised and divided world will revitalise and lead us to a better place in our country.
Empathy will show an understanding of challenges and difficulties that all students and staff face. It will serve as a great catalyst, serving as a pathway to correctly perceive and express concerns for citizens, and using those emotional-concerns to facilitate policies, not only about and for self but the adjustment and growth of systems.
Several good decisions and policies have been made in the past but when decisions are made, including educational ones in the absence of empathy or empathic intelligence, it creates a corrupt system and future that indirectly affects us and not others. Hence, to cure Nigeria’s educational sector of this malady, we have to make very large self sacrifices in order to achieve a change in the system, sector or the society.
On the hand, if we are to employ empathy but it only produces benefit for people who look, think, believe, or vote like us which is the case of Nigeria today, then I would argue that not only we will keep falling back to our most base of tribal, corrupt nature, there is little chance that diverse nations like the U.S, UK, China, Finland and South African can continue to achieve great heights. The idea of these nations is based on the idea that it is because of their diversity and inclusion that they remain prosperous, strong and united. It also means that there is a national value created when we “sacrifice” ourselves for the greater good of others.
Caleb Onah is a Public Policy Analyst.
For when we are concerned with the educational system or intellectual growth of citizens, we pay attention with keen awareness, to how current economic situation affect others, we remain close to them and their stories, whether physically or cognitively, we seek to understand how our lives and actions intersect with theirs, including desires and actions.
By investing in education through empathy; governments, communities and NGOs can help prepare young people for the challenges ahead. If children are truly the leaders of tomorrow, and education is the bedrock for economic and national growth, it is time we start investing in them with empathy and not mere thinking or rulership! Therefore, if we begin to act with empathy, think with empathy, serve with empathy, and live with empathy there is always hope that we can get closer to the stability we seek in our educational system, nation and world.

Caleb Onah is a Public Policy Analyst.