By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin
Olumide Akpata, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, declared that Nigeria’s education system collapsed when policy makers in the country laid the foundation for quota system on the basis of ethnicity and political patronage in place of meritocracy.
He made the assertion while delivering the 46th and 47th Convocation Lecture of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Benin City, Edo State Capital where he spoke on the topic, “Re-prioritazation of education: A panacea for the obstacles challenging national development in the 21st Century Nigeria”.
Olumide, UNIBEN alumnus, lamented that the sets of Vice Chancellors at the moment cannot be compared to Vice Chancellors shortly after the first and second generations of Nigerian Universities.
“That was the moment we laid the foundation for the collapse of the education system in Nigeria. Rather than be guided by the best standard practice and principles, we prioritised the education systems that are administered in Nigeria on the basis of ethnicity, and son of the soil, crept into the education system and now hold sway.”
