Management of Nigeria’s Educational System: Problems and Prospects for National Development

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the type of education introduced by the colonialists, which encourages brain-drain, human capital flight and underdevelopment. The paper gives a brief on the indigenous African education which is considered outstanding because of its harmony with the socio-economic and political life of the society both in material and spiritual sense. The paper traces the root of the present Nigerian type of education to colonialism when the colonialists destroyed the existing African political and economic system and autonomy by dismantling the pre-colonial model of education and replaced it with new formal schooling for brain-drain and mental confusion for underdevelopment. The finding of the paper reveals that the education introduced by the colonialists in Nigeria was not an education for the realization of Nigeria’s national development goals. The educational system is not relevant to the immediate environment and was not designed to promote the most rational use of human, material and social resources that would enhance indigenous and home-grown development nor does it create confidence and pride in people as members of African society. The paper utilizes secondary source of data as its methodology. The paper concludes that the neo-colonial system of education in operation in Nigeria since colonial days failed to make impact on the development of human and material resources and other potentialities because of its incompatibility with the immediate environment leading to brain-drain and human capital flight and the nation continue to be moving backward giving room for underdevelopment. The paper recommends that the system of education should incorporate the indigenous needs and values and work hand in hand with the modern type, its philosophy and curriculum should also include both the formal and informal type of indigenous education with emphasis on practical application rather than one-way concentration on certificates.

Keywords: Neo-Colonial Education, Brain-Drain, Human-Capital-Flight, Underdevelopment, imperialism, Global Liberalism, National Development