The Nigerian labour market is peopled by mammoth crowd. The supply is weigh more than the demand. The economic environment is not enabling enough to aid increase in demand that will consequentially lead to supply being put into use. This has led to Nigerians ready to do any job. No matter how meager the pay is. Those who can not find the job that pays poorly or who do not want to earn such pay resort to crimes.
Reading through the above simply explains the saying “Society prepares crime the people therein commit it”. How does a nation or state get reasonable percentage of the population involved in economic activities as a way to reduce crime to the barest minimum? Human Capital Development is a way.
Few weeks ago, it came as news that Oyo State Government (OYSG) wants to recruit primary and secondary school teachers to fill vacant positions left by the aged teachers who have retired and to contribute to the process of building a strong value chain that makes competent human resources. Basic education is very important as it lays foundation for advanced education. So we have to get it right. In trying to getting it right, OYSG has made the recruitment process a merit-based one. The popular word that seems to have become a lingo “connection” won’t work here.
After the numerous applications, a computer-based exam was conducted by SUBEB( for potential primary school teachers) and TESCOM(for potential secondary teachers). Note that applicants for non-teaching roles are not exempted. The results from these tests raised my eyebrows as a citizen of the pacesetter state. What is the pace we setting? How do we explain that 8,197 of 45,827 SUBEB applicants who sat for the exam passed?
What do we say is the reason for the failure of about 53,000 of 62,000 applicants for TESCOM recruitment? Note that 50marks was pegged as the cut off mark. These are red flags and bad omen that education sector in Oyo and Nigeria as a whole needs attention of state governments and the central government.
Identification of problem has been done. Now to the solutions. Where do we go from here? How do we forestall future reoccurrence of this situation? Nigeria as a whole is blessed with huge population which should contribute heavily to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The central government and all federating units especially Oyo state should check into their respective quantifiable plans (budget). How much do we allocate to education sector every fiscal year? Sufficient or not? If sufficient, then no Value For Money(VFM). The deficiency is apparent. Audit is not needed for that. Finance is the lifeblood of every setting. Finance should not only be made available but at appropriate time. Failure to provide fund at the appropriate time contributed to the woeful performance of Nigerian athletes at the Olympics held in Paris, France.
Rewarding excellence in academic performance. Not only that. Graduates should be engaged. Employment opportunities should be provided. We are in a country with many jobless graduates roaming the streets. This does not serve as an incentive to prioritize education. Some put an hold to study after leaving the high school. They’ve seen no need for it. Let’s pull out-of-school folks back to school by engaging graduates to be able to meet basic necessities. Let them have reasons to be in school.
Ensuring a secured environment for learning. This might not be peculiar to Oyo state as the pacesetter state is relatively safe compared to some states. No parents will send their wards to school to be killed. It is a gloomish thing to have one’s child dead. I pray no parent experience such. Our schools need to be more secured to aid human capital development.
Michael Ogundiran ACA
Chartered Accountant and Public Affairs Analyst
