‘Opportunities abound in foreign institutions for Nigerian students’

The current state of Nigeria’s tertiary education sector has been a serious concern to many stakeholders in the country; but the managing director, Online Dynamics, Mr Wale Michael, in this interview with KEHINDE ADIO, says Nigerian students can take advantage of several opportunities overseas. Excerpt:

HOW would you assess the state of tertiary institutions in Nigeria today?

It’s not good enough. Education in Nigeria, just like any other sector in the country, is still struggling to survive. It is a known fact that incessant strikes by the various university unions have become a common phenomenon in the education sector without any lasting solution in sight yet. A student who stays at home for   five months doing nothing, what do you expect from such a student? There is a lot to be done in the sector. Having said that, it is not as if efforts have not been put in place to reengineer or resuscitate Nigerian educational system, but we are still very far from international educational standard.

Can you compare the situation here with what obtains in other countries?

Nigeria is not on the same page with other foreign countries as far as education development is concerned. For instance, a recent development in the tertiary admission process in Nigeria took many people aback when government’s admission pass mark was put at 30 per cent. Why? What will be the end products of these students after graduation? If a student with 30 per cent score is given an admission into an institution, what it means is that he or she has passed the examination. So, 30 per cent represents our pass mark. It means that these students will have the impression that 30 per cent is the bench mark for academic success. Then students will pass out as 30 per cent graduates, which is below average. Government, education policy makers and allied education agencies will have to review our education standard.

When you look at other countries like Canada, Ukraine or even South Africa, things are different over there. For instance, Ukraine is regarded as the best country for medical training. Education in all those countries is practical-based. Do you know that Nigerian university graduates cannot stand with graduates of high school in those advanced countries in the labour market? Education must translate to productivity. Education must affect the market place. If researches and findings in the Nigerian universities remain on the library shelves, education has not served its purposes and growth and development in Nigeria will remain elusive.

On this note, it is advisable for Nigerian students to consider foreign universities as alternatives to get better education for our nation building.

Is there any way your office can assist Nigerian students to have access to these foreign universities?

Yes. We have been doing that for not less than 10 years through our Visa process initiative education to study in USA, Canada, Ukraine, Cyprus, Malaysia, Bellarus, Georgia and South Africa for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The process is ongoing. On-Line Dynamics will give Nigerian students information on scholarship opportunities and best foreign fee-avoidable universities across the globe.