Obi Iwuagwu

Nigeria needs skilled workers to sustain its current economic growth. Jaco Maritz talks education with Dr Obi Iwuagwu, a professor at the University of Lagos and special advisor to the federal government.

Name: Obi Iwuagwu
Ministry: Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Position: Special Advisor on Policy and Strategy

1) How would you describe the standard of education in Nigeria?

A lot of people are saying that the standard of education has fallen, yes I know. Don't forget that the developed world has an advantage in that they started first. You need to learn to walk, before you can learn to run. Also, if you are saying we are not doing it right, it depends on the yardstick you are using. For example, people will say a certain Muslim person is not educated. Not educated in what? Do you know how to write Arabic? That is another type of education. So it depends on what kind of education are you talking about. The person you say doesn't know anything, knows some things you don't know yourself. However, we still have some catching up to do regarding our level of education.

2) Is there a big difference between public and private universities?

In terms of staff the private universities are still not attracting the right calibre of staff, the public universities are still better. Personally, as a professor, I won't be in a hurry to go to one. Many of the private universities we have are sponsored by the churches because they have the money. Give the private universities ten years from now and they will have stabilised, but for now they are still going through some challenges with staff and funding.

3) How do Nigerian universities compare to the rest of the world?

Things have begun to stabilise. We are beginning to evolve the right plans and programmes for everything, including education. We need the right human resources in every field, and everybody realises it. Government is going out of its way and trying all kind of things to get it right. Maybe you can not compare our universities to what it is in the developed world but the system here is not useless. We've had have some problems in terms of union issues but with the return to democracy people are realising that there are other options available aside from striking. To sort out issues we can now go to court and challenge the government. Maybe we have moved back a little but I want to blame it on the previous military administration. So just give it some time.

4) Do you think Nigeria has a skills shortage?

I can tell you frankly that when it comes to skills, it is not just Nigeria, it is the entire Africa. This is a cause of globalisation where industries set-up outside their location and have the money to hire the best. So even the few skilled workers you have are being taken away from you - it is happening to most of the developing countries. In Nigeria we have a huge challenge with skills, that is why today we are not just emphasising education, we are looking at vocational education. Government is also encouraging companies to set-up their own training centres.

5) How do you feel about the future of Nigeria?

I can tell you that most of the governors we have now are focused and willing to work. Maybe it has to do with the leadership from the centre - the president himself is focused. You will see that everybody is beginning to take things seriously. Gradually we are making progress, slowly, but we are making progress.