African leaders have been urged to reform the continent’s education curriculum to place greater emphasis on skills acquisition rather than academic learning alone.
The Global President of African Diaspora Union, Professor Chidebere Ogbu made the call as a guest on Voice of Nigeria Current Affairs Programme, ” In The News”, in Abuja.
Right curriculum
He said that with the right curriculum in skills acquisition, most Nigerians would be gainfully employed when they travel to other countries.
He said; “One of the things we are pleading with the Nigerian Government to do is to change our academic curriculum. The colonial masters deliberately introduced a wrong curriculum that encourages memorisation rather than critical thinking and production.
“We attend schools where we become orators without practical skills. You can have a master’s degree, a doctorate or even a professorship, but when you travel abroad, you may find it difficult to get a job because you lack the necessary skills.
“When our people travel to Europe, America and other countries, some end up going into nursing because they need practical skills to secure employment.
“Many of them struggle to find jobs because they lack the required skills. However, people with practical skills, such as mechanics and electricians, can find jobs when they arrive in these countries.”
Professor Ogbu encouraged the Nigerian government to convert the 1-year National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, to compulsory skills acquisition by every Nigerian graduate.
He also said that AFRIDU is sponsoring the African Descendant Citizenship Application Bill, SB 838 to address citizenship challenges in Africa as most migrants did not relinquish their citizenship.
“The right of citizenship for any of them who go through DNA test and there is enough evidence to prove that they are Nigerian. And we want this bill to be replicated in African countries. That’s one of the reasons we want to meet with the chairman of the African Union,” he said.
Professor Ogbu also said that there’s the need to address the ignorance in migration.
“We realise that most of our youths, adults even, migrate very ignorantly, who do not have an idea about migration laws,“he said .
Speaking on the outcomes of the recently concluded high-level dialogue on migration in Africa, Professor Ogbu said the conference had improved participants’ understanding of migration trends and challenges.
He said “participants gained insights into migration patterns,” noting that people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon were migrating to Nigeria in search of jobs, while Nigerians were travelling abroad for similar reasons.
Professor Ogbu said ignorance and misinformation exposed many migrants to serious risks, as some embarked on dangerous journeys without understanding the challenges involved.
He explained that ‘some migrants were misled into believing that crossing the desert was a one-day journey, unaware that it could take up to a month, with many dying along the way.”
He stated that others were deceived into travelling to Europe in overcrowded boats, resulting in drownings and loss of lives.
Professor Ogbu said “the conference also highlighted the need for African leaders to establish policies that would ensure accountability whenever African migrants suffered harm in other African countries.”
He called for compensation for migrants affected by xenophobic attacks or business losses, stressing the need for appropriate policies and monitoring mechanisms.
Professor Ogbu also urged the Nigerian Government to establish a system requiring Nigerians travelling abroad to report to Nigerian embassies or consulates upon arrival.
According to him, this would help the country maintain a database of Nigerians living outside the country.
“The Nigerian Government does not have a database of Nigerians living outside Nigeria. The only places where it may have such records are the United States and Canada, because of the systems they operate.
“In other places, whether Ghana, South Africa, Malaysia, Gabon or Cameroon, the Nigerian Government does not have a database. We should put these things in place. These are some of the takeaways from the conference,” he said.
Professor Ogbu reiterated the need for African leaders to address Afrophobia, including attacks by Africans against other Africans on the continent.
