The other day, a friend informed me that she woke up in the morning to hear that their school had doubled their fees. They complained that last semester a lot of students dropped out because registration fees had doubled, and their VC (vice-chancellor) attributed it to inflation in the country. I responded, “Sorry dear. Just mind your business! ” I added, “Some Nigerian universities want to make money from you. They can’t really develop you. “
The above is not saying “universities are bad”. There are many aspects. In fact, universities help build social maturity.
Most students are tired. Do we even talk about ASUU’s (academic staff union of universities) frequent strike actions? Those who can afford private universities are somewhat shielded from delays in graduation and administrative bottlenecks. But one thing is common: getting a job can be a nightmare. Nseobot Afaha shared some tips on this.
I have no problem with students complaining to me, but somehow they’ve been brainwashed by society into thinking that university is a good thing for intelligent, ambitious young people. Some major benefits of the university include opportunities and access to social networks; communication skills; people skills; etc.
The University Economy
The university system’s cost structure has to be examined. Private institutions charge more, whereas state universities are more expensive than federal universities. The cost of tuition varies by course of study. The typical annual tuition charge is NGN110,000 ($220), plus other expenses that can total in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of Naira. The average annual cost of tuition in the US is about $16,000, plus additional living expenses, books, etc. The quality of education that Nigerian universities provide is impacted, among other things, by the fact that the majority of them lack adequate equipment and care for their instructors.
After graduation, pupils hardly ever come across a paying job. It seems they are poorly prepared for the demand of the economy.
Quality doesn’t come cheap anywhere in the world. Most wealthy Nigerians prudently send their young ones to foreign universities. Interestingly, they get a job faster too.
However, people have complained that getting a degree wasted four to five years of their lives. Mostly because the courses offered don’t match the jobs available in the market. We still have the issue of cultural fitness. Most companies still have to train these graduates before they can employ them. A huge expectation is that it takes just four years to graduate, but the ASUU strike can push it up to six years. The struggle to get a job that pays less than $100 per month is another thing. Yet, some people learn Tech skills in six months, put in good hours in practice, do internships for a while, and in less than three years get a job that pays $1,000 a month.
A person who spends 6 months learning a digital talent and another 6 months honing it could land a higher-paying job sooner than someone who has studied for 6 years at a Nigerian university.
Someone who puts in 10,000 hours of programming is more likely to master it and get better jobs and opportunities – the “do ri me” gang! Did graduating get you that first job? Not likely. You will most likely fail your first interview miserably as you are not properly trained and prepared for it.
Some Benefits of The University
You get to party. A lot
There are no parents around. You barely have any family members to tame you. There’s nothing real to prevent you from doing anything you want. So you can do it big if you want.
You drink, do drugs and fornicate 😀
There are no parents around. No uncles. No Aunties. You just escaped home. Now you have the freedom to explore your desires. You make new friends. If you are a girl, you get inundated with drivel from toasters. You get the opportunity to try marijuana, LSD, and cultism. You also get to explore your sexual preferences. Of course, these things are available on the streets as well.
You build social skills
It’s a good time to develop social skills. Introverts who stayed at home for a long period now get the opportunity to develop their extroverted side 🙂 Social skills actually come in handy for career success.
You build entrepreneurial skill
Chasing lecturers and class reps up and down and negotiating handout fees and other charges helps build your negotiation and entrepreneurial skills.
You learn to communicate
Persuading students and other for-hire “consultants” to help you with your school project can build your communication skills. You also get the chance to learn this by doing your assignments. Soft skills are more valuable than technical skills. People are more likely to hire you if you communicate well.
What about education? Well, you can learn chemical compounds or the COBOL programming language, but you are never going to apply it in the real world. At least you can use them to win arguments or feel smart during conversations. You get to brag! I have seen people like this. Some things you will learn will come in handy in your job, hopefully.
So what should people do instead?
There are affordable alternatives on the internet. There are nano-degrees you can take online and get employed by startups, foreign companies, or do freelancing for your friend’s business. No joke! These days, people get their education via the internet. Read articles, watch YouTube videos, take online courses etc.
Demand for Tech talents is at an all-time high.
You can start a business. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to get valuable experience selling a service. You can as well trade-buy some goods cheap and sell them expensive. You can apply for reality TV shows. You have vast options. The internet has made this possible. People who acquire tech skills are doing more economically well than their counterparts who are going through the stress of university in Nigeria. The educational system has been restructured. EdTech is rapidly increasing. You don’t know what tech skill to learn? TechAssembly can guide you in finding a good match.
About TechAssembly
TechAssembly is a technology development company that works on digital transformation, tech skill acquisition, and tech talent acquisition. TechAssembly specializes in communication solutions, economic tech, FinTech, business solutions, Web and Mobile development (One Stop Shop for all technology development needs).
Our clientele includes funded start-ups and SMEs, some of which are within and outside Africa.
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