Address by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Dogara Yakubu at the Dialogue Session with Students of Nigerian Universities held at the House of Representatives, National Assembly on 9th May, 2016
Protocols:
Introduction
I would like to start by welcoming you all to the National Assembly, this great citadel of our democracy, for this important dialogue session with representatives of students of our universities in Nigeria.
Today’s novel event presents a unique opportunity for students from Universities across Nigeria to visit the National Assembly as part of a special youth development program. This initiative is the first of its kind in Nigeria and it focuses on deepening students understanding of the democratic process with special emphasis on the legislature while attempting to bridge the prevalent disconnect students have with the system.
The core objectives of this event therefore, include: to expose students to legislative practice and procedure; improve public trust in the Legislature as an arm of government; and enable students to meet and interact with their elected representatives in the National Assembly.
The 8th House of Representatives in its Legislative Agenda committed itself to: “Introduce necessary legislative interventions to promote
equality and inclusiveness, and entrench the rights of Women, Youths and vulnerable groups in the society”. This event is therefore in furtherance of that agenda.
Relevance of the Students Dialogue Session:
Political participation by young people has emerged in recent years as a crucial new focus of efforts to enhance democracy worldwide. This attention apparently springs from two unfolding trends: The first, concerns worries about “political apathy” among young people, measured largely in terms of low voter turnout. The second, is increased recognition of the central role played by young people, particularly students in movements for democracy around the globe.
Political participation by young people has emerged in recent years as a crucial new focus of efforts to enhance democracy worldwide. This attention apparently springs from two unfolding trends: The first, concerns worries about “political apathy” among young people, measured largely in terms of low voter turnout. The second, is increased recognition of the central role played by young people, particularly students in movements for democracy around the globe.
Many young people are not involved in voting during elections which threatens the representative nature of our democratic institutions. Parliamentary institutions, like the National Assembly, are symbols of democracy, politically, historically and culturally, and an acquaintance with its practices may inspire some of you to choose the legislature as your area for career development.
The Role of Students in Nigerian Politics:
Nigerian students played a big role in the struggle for independence in Nigeria. They played an equally historical role after independence, and they were a thorn in the flesh of the military during the period of military rule in Nigeria. Student activism and unionism contributed in shaping the political history of Nigeria. I will recall just a few incidents. In the early 60’s soon after independence, Nigeria proposed to enter into an Anglo- Nigeria Defence pact, which was seen as a neo-colonialist imperialistic agenda. Nigerian students mobilised and marched to the Parliament in Lagos. This resultant effect was the cancellation of the pact.
Nigerian students played a big role in the struggle for independence in Nigeria. They played an equally historical role after independence, and they were a thorn in the flesh of the military during the period of military rule in Nigeria. Student activism and unionism contributed in shaping the political history of Nigeria. I will recall just a few incidents. In the early 60’s soon after independence, Nigeria proposed to enter into an Anglo- Nigeria Defence pact, which was seen as a neo-colonialist imperialistic agenda. Nigerian students mobilised and marched to the Parliament in Lagos. This resultant effect was the cancellation of the pact.
The Ali- must go protest by Nigerian students against increase in school fees, feeding and accommodation charges in 1978 must go down as a shining moment for student activism in Nigeria. Of course students also played a major role in the anti – SAP demonstrations in 1989, and the protests in the aftermath of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections.
I believe strongly that the culture of peaceful protest, demonstrations and general activism is not only necessary in a democratic state but is in fact a constitutional right. This ensures accountability of government to the people. Resistance to tyranny, crusade for justice and good governance require courage, patriotism and ideological purity. It was Martin Luther King, Jnr, who said that: “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed”. Indeed, ‘the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny’, to paraphrase Prof Wole Soyinka. The culture of protest that I endorse must be uncompromisingly peaceful and non-violent. It must be based on selflessness and not aided by ambition or corruption. It must be for the right reasons and procured only by the purest of motives. It must not be based on propaganda and misinformation. It must be non-partisan. Students should never allow themselves to be used by politicians to score political points or by state or non-state actors to pick sour grapes on their behalf.
Young students like you possess abundance of passion, drive and the spirit of adventure thus risk taking comes naturally to the young. The idealism of youth must, however, be tempered by the need to excel academically in school. Any student who places activism over academics will sooner than later be left behind by his classmates. You must therefore strike the right balance between activism and academic and social progress. The pursuit and acquisition of good education is the most important legacy you can bequit to your family. An enlightened mind is crucial for self development and for the practice of democracy itself. It was Edward Everett who famously said that: “education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army”.
This country belongs to you but it’s under the stranglehold of men and women of a generation that have overreached itself. The truth is that nothing will be ceded or conceded to your generation without a fight. In this endeavor, your voices mean nothing if you don’t have the votes. Therefore, all students in Nigeria must not only register to vote and cast their votes during elections, they must also ensure that their votes, count. There is no other better way by which you will earn respect for yourselves and ensure that the gifts you have taken to the university to polish ultimately benefit your generation.
The current status of student unionism in Nigeria:
It appear that the lofty standards set by earlier student unionists in Nigeria that left a legacy of intellectualism and dogged pursuit of national interest is now in decline. A combination of factors has led to this unfortunate state of affairs. Factionalism, cultism, politicization, financial greed, coupled with government anti – student union policy measures have combined to rob Nigeria of the benefits of a vibrant, patriotic and result oriented student union movement. When the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS), leadership visited me in February this year, they complained of many problems. They said that in many cases, student union governments have been proscribed; student leaders have been expelled from school, sometimes for legitimate student union activities; payments due to Student union governments are frustrated by university authorities; high-handedness of most vice- Chancellors, Rectors and provosts; they asked for a largely independent student union governments that will take away the power of disciplining student union officials from Vice Chancellors to the Governing Boards of the institutions; they further requested for the review of the laws governing tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria to be more student friendly.
It appear that the lofty standards set by earlier student unionists in Nigeria that left a legacy of intellectualism and dogged pursuit of national interest is now in decline. A combination of factors has led to this unfortunate state of affairs. Factionalism, cultism, politicization, financial greed, coupled with government anti – student union policy measures have combined to rob Nigeria of the benefits of a vibrant, patriotic and result oriented student union movement. When the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS), leadership visited me in February this year, they complained of many problems. They said that in many cases, student union governments have been proscribed; student leaders have been expelled from school, sometimes for legitimate student union activities; payments due to Student union governments are frustrated by university authorities; high-handedness of most vice- Chancellors, Rectors and provosts; they asked for a largely independent student union governments that will take away the power of disciplining student union officials from Vice Chancellors to the Governing Boards of the institutions; they further requested for the review of the laws governing tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria to be more student friendly.
We want to assure all Nigerian students, that the House of Representatives, and indeed the National Assembly as a parliament of the Nigerian people will take right steps to meet most of your demands. We believe that student unionism is a vital training ground for leadership. On your part, you must return to the part of enlightened, peaceful, purposeful and violence – free student unionism and activism.
The problem of education in Nigeria:
In Nigeria, it is estimated that young people between the ages of 15-25 make up 47% of the nation’s population. These numbers are predicted to increase further in the coming years.
In Nigeria, it is estimated that young people between the ages of 15-25 make up 47% of the nation’s population. These numbers are predicted to increase further in the coming years.
Despite their numbers, relevance and potentials, young people in Nigeria face significant challenges in many facets. First of all, the educational system in Nigeria is dysfunctional. This is reflected in the sad fact that only one Nigerian university is ranked among the top 800 universities in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2015/2016. Little wonder, parents have turned to sending their children to universities in other African countries including Ghana, South Africa, Benin Republic, Uganda and Kenya, among others.
Every year, over a million Nigerian students sit for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Exams (JAMB) for entry into our universities. Of this number, only 20% get admitted and the remaining 80% are left to their own fate. This is largely due to the fact that Nigerian institutions have a low carrying capacity and can only accommodate less than 30 per cent of young boys and girls who qualify to have tertiary education. This has led to the proliferation of mushroom or illegal universities both in Nigeria and abroad, all of which prey on young Nigerians desperate for university education.
The scramble by Nigerians for foreign universities comes at a high cost to both parents and indeed the Nigerian economy as a whole. It has been estimated that Nigeria currently spends over $2 billion annually on education abroad. This is indeed an embarrassing situation considering the fact that there was a time, in not so distant past, when Nigerian universities attracted some of the best minds and researchers from around the world.
The problem of access to education is even worse at lower levels. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 33% of Nigerians aged 15 years and above could not read or write in any language. Primary school completion rate across Nigeria has equally been dismal. This is despite the fact that the foundational years spent in primary school have serious impact on the overall educational growth of a child. Additionally, only 47% of children are said to have access to secondary school education. It is to give attention to this level of education that the House recently created the Committee on Basic Education as a separate standing Committee.
The issue of quality of education is not problem free either: There is a huge deficit in available educational infrastructure which inhibits functional and qualitative education.
In addition, the curriculum content and delivery of our school system may need to be better designed to the demands of the labour market. For instance, ICT education remains abysmally low and vocational education remains a hugely ignored aspect of educational development in Nigeria. Previous attempts by government to promote science and technical education in schools have largely been ineffectual.
In 2011, the Federal Government set up a Presidential Monitoring and Assessment Committee to evaluate and assess the state of Nigeria’s public Universities. The committee assessed 61 out of a total of 75 public Universities owned by both Federal and State governments. In its report, the committee found public universities to be in a near comatose situation; it found that none of our public universities met the average minimum standards for such institutions globally. Some of the key problems facing public schools were found to include, poor facilities and equipment, poor service delivery, incessant strikes and industrial actions, a surge in cultism and related acts of violence, limited funding, under-qualified teachers, lack of commitment to excellence, and exploitation of students, among others.
The hard truth is that an ineffective public education system is incapable of servicing in any quantitative, much less qualitative manner, the driving levers of an economy that urgently need to improve productivity, generate wealth, and increase competitiveness. This has resulted in the inability of the economy to absorb more people due to skills deficit which has contributed to rising poverty levels, increasing levels and incidences of crime, criminality and other forms of disruptive violence and insecurity.
Youth Unemployment in Nigeria:
This has indeed reached a crises situation. Currently, the expansion of employment opportunities is far below the growth in the youth population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in 2015, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was at 23.9 per cent and 60 per cent of our population are youths, translating to about 80 million Nigerian youths. Youth unemployment rate is over 50 per cent; about 64 million Nigerian youths are unemployed. When one takes into cognisance the sheer number of young people seeking employment, it renders programmes of government and international agencies to mere tokenistic gestures. The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has not been able to provide the needed succour to the unemployed youth. At the moment, even the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) is struggling to absorb recent graduates of the country‘s tertiary institutions. Even educated youths fail to acquire the skills that are demanded by the labour market. In Nigeria, for example, a weak vocational training sector means that, despite a large and growing construction sector, skilled construction workers are usually imported from neighbouring countries.
This has indeed reached a crises situation. Currently, the expansion of employment opportunities is far below the growth in the youth population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in 2015, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was at 23.9 per cent and 60 per cent of our population are youths, translating to about 80 million Nigerian youths. Youth unemployment rate is over 50 per cent; about 64 million Nigerian youths are unemployed. When one takes into cognisance the sheer number of young people seeking employment, it renders programmes of government and international agencies to mere tokenistic gestures. The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has not been able to provide the needed succour to the unemployed youth. At the moment, even the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) is struggling to absorb recent graduates of the country‘s tertiary institutions. Even educated youths fail to acquire the skills that are demanded by the labour market. In Nigeria, for example, a weak vocational training sector means that, despite a large and growing construction sector, skilled construction workers are usually imported from neighbouring countries.
Tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria is a top priority for the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives.
Consequently, as part of the Sectoral Debates of the House of Representatives, we are vigorously engaging the executive on how to diversify the economy and create jobs for our people. The issues surrounding youth employment are multi-sectoral and must involve many stakeholders – governments, the private sector, educational and training institutions, employers and industries, employees, parents and families, communities, and of course the youth themselves. It is clear that the three Cs – communication, collaboration and coordination – among the various sectors and stakeholders are extremely important to ensure the positive outcomes of any strategy or approach developed and implemented.
Consequently, as part of the Sectoral Debates of the House of Representatives, we are vigorously engaging the executive on how to diversify the economy and create jobs for our people. The issues surrounding youth employment are multi-sectoral and must involve many stakeholders – governments, the private sector, educational and training institutions, employers and industries, employees, parents and families, communities, and of course the youth themselves. It is clear that the three Cs – communication, collaboration and coordination – among the various sectors and stakeholders are extremely important to ensure the positive outcomes of any strategy or approach developed and implemented.
The House has specifically scheduled debates and interactive sessions with MDAs responsible for job creation and employment in our next Sectoral debates. The debate session taking place on the floor of the House, seeks to identify and prioritize key issues of graduate unemployment to be addressed; develop a strategy to address these issues; and develop potential legislative action plans and follow-up activities. It is our expectation that through the agency of this dialogue, key issues of graduate unemployment would be prioritized, and a framework and strategy to address these issues would be developed.
Additionally, the House will continue to advance and support key youth policy initiatives targeted at young people such as boosting entrepreneurship, increasing investment in infrastructure in public schools, and supporting reform of higher education in Nigeria.
Additionally, the House will continue to advance and support key youth policy initiatives targeted at young people such as boosting entrepreneurship, increasing investment in infrastructure in public schools, and supporting reform of higher education in Nigeria.
Nigerian Students/ Youths and the Way Forward:
The challenges facing Nigerian youths appear onerous and overwhelming. Yet they are not insurmountable. First of all, the development of infrastructure in the nation’s public universities must be prioritised and pursued vigorously.
The challenges facing Nigerian youths appear onerous and overwhelming. Yet they are not insurmountable. First of all, the development of infrastructure in the nation’s public universities must be prioritised and pursued vigorously.
Secondly, a reform of the educational sector is needed as a matter of necessity and urgency. Reform of the educational sector should be targeted to improve the quality and skill of manpower available for the public and private sectors and for self-employment.
Consequently, vocational and middle-level technical schools can be upgraded in terms of facilities and quality of teaching to fill the gap in middle level manpower requirements. We, as a people, can draw important lessons from Korea and strengthen vocational training by increasing funding, formalizing the promotion of vocational skills, legally address the imbalance between technical/vocational schools and universities, match the curriculum of vocational schools and institutions to the needs of industries.
An increased focus on the role of science and technology in Nigeria’s future growth is recommended because they directly impact on employment and industry.
An increased focus on the role of science and technology in Nigeria’s future growth is recommended because they directly impact on employment and industry.
Students in Nigeria’s tertiary educational system can also benefit from exposure to the real world of work. This can be facilitated through mentoring, counselling, promotion, demonstrations and by organizing campaigns and fora to increase students’ awareness and exposure. Internships at the workplace and encouraging and facilitating student mobility and exchange across borders is necessary.
More than three decades ago, China’s reforming leader, Deng Xiaoping, began economic reforms which would transform the world in the 21st century as China emerged as a global economic superpower. The centrepiece of the strategy was science and technology as Deng believed these would be the means to transform a poor agricultural country into an affluent nation. Thanks to his vision, China is now the second-largest economy in the world after the United States. We too must develop a framework for promoting science education and set for ourselves timelines.
Another example is India. Starting from a very small base a little more than 10 years ago, that country has managed to develop its IT and IT-enabled services into a $100bn per year undertaking and it continues to grow at 30 per cent per annum that is remarkable. Given suitable contexts, including internet infrastructure, financial support, and a conducive environment, Nigeria should be able to fast- track the ICT Sector by investing in IT parks, smart villages and incubators. Effort should be made to identify industry specific legislative, regulatory and infrastructure needs that will aid this sector
Agriculture accounts for the bulk of GDP in Nigeria, and probably employs a higher absolute number of youth than any other sector. However, its full potential is rarely exploited. Much of Nigeria agricultural land lies fallow due to restrictions on land titling, state ownership of productive land and lack of incentives. Lack of supporting infrastructure makes production and transport of agricultural goods to markets, unviable. The recent initiative by the Federal Government to address youth unemployment through graduate participation in small scale agriculture is commendable. The N400 billion project which is being coordinated by the CBN represents a right step in the right direction. May I therefore use this opportunity to encourage young graduates and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to access this facility and halt the current cycle of endless search for jobs.
In addition to such initiatives, youth entrepreneurial villages can be developed at pilot level (one in each geo-political zone) to absorb the teeming unemployed youths. A pilot agricultural village could have: [a] a number of agricultural science graduates; [b] cleared farms; [c] solar power infrastructure for lighting; [d] tents or simple hostel and general bathrooms for housing; [e] bank loans guaranteed by government; basic farming equipment; and [f] assistance with marketing intelligence. The youth would be organized into cooperatives and supported by experts as advisors or co-investors. Government must also through international partnerships must provide technical assistance and grants for the ideas to work. Each farm village may have targeted crops and poultry. If successful, this can be replicated in all states and will encourage further, farming as a business for youths.
Conclusion
I am acutely aware that young people often find themselves on the fringes of the political process. We need to develop a structured manner of involving our students and youths in the political process. I think it may not be out of place to lower the age qualification for certain elective offices in the next constitutional amendment exercise.
I am acutely aware that young people often find themselves on the fringes of the political process. We need to develop a structured manner of involving our students and youths in the political process. I think it may not be out of place to lower the age qualification for certain elective offices in the next constitutional amendment exercise.
It is my ambition and those of my colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure that students are empowered and connected as citizens to the political process and have a say in the decisions that affect them. This initiative of an interactive session with Students is just the first step in helping our students and young people become more actively involved with their representatives, with politics and democratic institutions.
On my part, as a politician and professional, I believe that politics is a noble profession. Frustrating as it may sometimes be, politics remains one of the most significant ways of making a real difference in our people’s lives. As young people, it is important to restore idealism to our political process. To my fellow politicians, I challenge us to be open and accessible at all times. To engage students and youths, we must be accessible on a variety of platforms, not only to broadcast our messages but to listen and respond to questions and concerns of our students and young people.
I enjoin all students and indeed all the youth not to despair or feel helpless, despondent or marginalized. I believe that in your hands lie the promise of a great nation which will definitely emerge from the ashes of our current travails, to create a Nigeria that we shall all be proud of.
A Nigeria where the young can still dream dreams. A Nigeria that will be corrupt free. A Nigeria where quality education will become a fundamental right. A Nigeria where the government will be accountable and responsive to the needs of her citizens. You have a big role to play in ensuring the emergence of this new Nigeria. You cannot therefore afford to go to sleep. A changed Nigeria. I assure you that it is not all bad news. There is hope for Nigeria. We will ensure through our oversight functions that the 2016 budget just signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is faithfully implemented as it contains many student and youth friendly initiatives that kicks-tarts the process of bringing the change Nigerian’s voted for.
May I once again thank you all for participating in this event and may God bless you and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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