75,000 Nigeria Students In Ghanaian Varsities, Says Babalakin

75,000 Nigeria Students In Ghanaian Varsities, Says Babalakin

THE FLEECING OF NIGERIAN WEALTH:

The students involved are not to blame and the parents who are willing to send their children to Ghana are not to blame either. There is political stability in Ghana, which in turn, creates an atmosphere conducive for quality and uninterrupted academic pursuit. In the last 15 years a lot has changed in our education system, especially on the issue of duration. A four year University program may take five or six years to complete due to incessant interruptions of classes.

There is never a year in Nigeria, without student riots, or ASUU working out of classrooms. Government on the other hand, is blameless; they never tend to get it right on how to manage our educational system, without resorting to closure. Any time our Schools are shut down, students suffer and parents suffer as well. Whether we like it or not, the quality of the certificates or the quality of the graduates they produce would always reflect the troubling situation on our campuses. So, those who can afford the exorbitant school fees paid by international students abroad would do everything possible to ship their children to Accra, Johannesburg, or Lome, without delay. If they cannot obtain student visa to UK or North America in search of the Golden Fleece, why not try Ghana or South Africa? And not so surprising, some India entrepreneurs have taken advantage of that crazy rush by starting on-line schools or satellite campuses in Ghana, targeting Nigerian parents and students.

I agree with Dr. Wala Babalakin, Nigerian Universities should develop the habit of self-funding and revenue generation initiatives as it is done overseas, with a view to expanding their revenue base. Our Universities should start by embarking on massive alumni membership drive. For example, and on a personal note, since my graduation from Harvard, I have never updated my record, but they always know where I am at every point in time. To be candid, I don't know how they do it. All I know is that I have always received Alumni Bulletins from my School at my current address as well as letters and membership applications from the Alumni Association in any new City that I find myself in the US. University of Denver is not left out too; few days ago, I got a phone call from the Alumni office asking to know my present situation and to confirm my current address and pone number   There is no doubt; Alumni Association is the right way to go and a good source of revenue for our universities. And that is a good start for all our Universities at home.

In addition, incorporating and running management consulting outfit on campus, as was the case at UNILAG long ago, should be encouraged nation-wide. Our Universities should take advantage of the facilities (lecture halls, auditoriums, and theaters) and ready Scholars they have and concentrate on organizing conferences and seminars. They are potent avenues for revenue generation.  Harvard University is richer down the City of Cambridge, and in fact, has more workers than the City itself. The truth is that Harvard's financial viability is not just traceable to the revenue from tuition and fees, but from the same sources that I mentioned above and other independent sources like portfolio investments that the University has perfected so well.  Our Universities should endeavor to look inward if they must achieve relevance in global reckoning, or hope to become financially independent.  

Be that as it may, our government cannot run away from the sorry state of our schools. It is about funding, innovation, research and development.  

Please see "Nigeria: Ghanaian Universities - How Nigerians Are Swindled" courtesy of allafrica.com, available at  http://allafrica.com/stories/201205170518.html