Why students fail mathematics —Nigeria’s first female professor of mathematics

A university lecturer and first Nigerian female professor of mathematics, Professor Olabisi Ugbebor, has explained why many students fail mathematics in Nigeria.

She said though students ill preparation is a factor, teachers share the major part of the blame.

She made the observation in Lagos Thursday last week on the sideline of this year’s edition of mathematics conference and exhibition organised by the Mathematics for Life Foundation.

Professor Ugbebor spoke on ‘The Mathematics of Elections: Choices, Voting and Outcomes’ as a lead guest speaker at the event, which also had Professor Godwin Chukwu speaking on ‘Predicting Accuracy of Election Outcomes: Impact on Census Data and Other Factors’.

According to Professor Ugbebor, many students fail maths because they don’t see good teachers to teach them in the simplest way they can understand the subject.

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Mathematics, she said, is easy to understand and pass, but many teachers scare students that the subject is difficult.

“Beside that, many teachers who are neither trained as mathematicians nor passionate about the subject (teaching it) is another serious problem as they won’t be able to teach effectively in class.

“And because they were not also properly taught while in school, the effect passes on from one generation to another. That is why I always advocate that only specialists and (teachers who) have passion and love for mathematics should be allowed to teach the subject,” she added.

Describing mathematics as life, Professor Ugbebor, who had PhD in mathematics at 25, however, commended the Mathematics for Life Foundation for contributing to the development of mathematics and science in Nigeria.

In his address of welcome, the president of the foundation, Mr. Omoniyi Osuntuyi, said the efforts of the foundation had been yielding positive results.

According to him, more students now have interest in the study of mathematics and other science subjects.

The high point of the event, which was the fourth in the series, was the award of prizes to students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja (Michael Obunike and Favour Okeke) and those from Deeper Life High School, Akure and Grace Secondary School, Port Harcourt for coming first, second and third in the competition respectively.

Award was also given to the best candidates in the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Master Oluwatosin Ajibola (who scored 349 out of possible 400 marks) and in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council, David Okorogheye, who had 9As.

While Loyola Jesuit students went home with N400,000 and gift items, those from Deeper Life High School and Grace Secondary School received M200,000 and N100,000 respectively.

Ajibola and David got N100,000 each for their efforts.