Buhari on Education

Awareness

There is little done in the manifesto itself to expound the need for education or the problems facing the education sector. However, there is a level of awareness that can be inferred from the policies out forward. The policies show awareness of the need to review the curriculums being taught in school and an awareness of the demand for education that is often coupled with lack of access to it. His policies also demonstrate a commitment to the Universal Basic Education (UBE) goal.

That said there are a lot of areas that the diminutive section on education doesn’t touch on. There is no mention of the quality of education in terms of the abilities/availability/commitment of the teachers and the availability of equipment and resources. It makes no reference to how schools are controlled and funded. It also neglects the education of girl-children and nomads, which need special attention in Nigeria.

Ambition

The first policy for universal attendance of junior secondary school is part of the nine years of education (UBE) commitment of the Millennium Development Goals to which Nigeria is a signatory. So this should really be seen as a pre-requisite for any current or future administration, although the compulsory continuation to senior secondary education and the emphasis on functionality throughout do show a level of ambition.

The ambition of any curriculum review depends on the review of the curriculum itself. Whether it will simply bring up to date outdated learning systems or practices or will choose to overhaul the whole thing remains to be seen.

The establishment of an education bank, geared at providing student loans will be a monumental task. Not only the initial difficulty of setting up and financing it, but the establishment of a system that will ensure that the bank is able to recover the money it lends will also be difficult.

Detail

This section of the plan only provides the policies in its barest forms. As already noted, there is no expounding of the scale of the issue, so too is there very little detail given of the how. The question with many of the policies will be how will they be funded (privately/publicly, federal/state) and how will they be monitored to ensure that standards are kept and in these regards the manifesto has nothing to say.

My View

I think that education should be the bedrock of any political manifesto for these upcoming elections. The ramifications of a good education system are wide reaching in terms of everything from crime to health to the economy and so I was particularly disappointed in this section.  I feel there is a need for a revolution in the education sector that will ensure UBE for all Nigerians, but beyond that will not just follow the trend. The focus really ought to be on vocational training and sector specific training. There are a multitude of unemployed graduates so stop funnelling more 16-18 year olds into an inadequate university system. The plan is not offensive to me, I understand if you believe the current 6-6-(4) or 6-3-3-(4) system of education is eventually going to come good in Nigeria then this is what needs to be done, but I don’t believe that.

Scores (Out of 5)

Awareness: 2.0

Ambition: 3.0

Detail: 0.5

My View: 1.5

Ribadu on Foreign Policy

Awareness
This section of Mr. Ribadu's plan realises that until Nigeria has sorted out its domestic situation, it can't be overly active in terms of foreign policy. Despite this, the plan could have done more to acknowledge Nigeria's role as a regional player in ECOWAS etc. and the implications this has or could have economically or militarily (although mention was made of the gulf of Guinea Commission). It also neglects to mention the role of diplomacy and foreign policy in addressing trade imbalances, attracting foreign capital and redressing the brain drain.

Ambition
The plan has little in the way of actual policy but demonstrates a desire to cut back the role Nigeria plays outside of our crusade for democratic government in the region.

Detail
As there is little in the way of policy, there is little in the way of detail, although reviving the Gulf of Guinea Commission is mentioned explicitly.

My View
I agree for the most part with the Mallam on this section. We as a nation need to stop throwing our weight about on the international scene until we have sorted out the problems at home. We need a period of isolation, where the only foreign policy addressed is to pursue economic issues such as the removal of subsidies and trade barriers, the compensating of developing economies for the brain drain and attracting strategic foreign direct investment

Scores (Out of 5)
Awareness: 3.25
Ambition: 1.0
Detail: 1.5
My view: 4.25