If you are going to study computer science (not medicine or law or Pol Sci), then YES! Ultimately, you will be judged by your skill as a developer and most of our school aren’t doing anything to impart those skills.
I had 2 of those in my set in London on scholarship. But the reality is that those are 2 out of over 100 students.
Here are some youth and education statistics to help put things in perspective.
In last year’s WAEC, only 6 states passed WAEC (average result of 6 credits).
Less people wrote WAEC last year than the year before it. (People are skipping WAEC)
Last year, there was a public outcry to JAMB to lower their cutoff (More people are failing Jamb)
Let’s not say anything about the increase in “special centers” and parents bribing examiners for answers to be supplied to candidates. We don’t have data to back that up.
Summary: SECONDARY EDUCATION IS FAILED.
In 2013 (or is it 2014) 6.3 million people wrote WAEC, all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria only admitted 2.7 million (42% of candidates). (So there are no schools at all for about 3.6 million candidates)
I have no data to demonstrate the inefficiency of our tertiary institutions, personally I attended UNN (one of the best around) where Introduction to algorithm was a final year course in Computer Science. But one look at the global ranking of the schools will tell you how far. (Plus the fact that as at last year in Nigeria, CU a private school that is just over 10 years was number 1, and Landmark University, also private and less than 5years was no 9 before they even graduated their first set of students, UNN was no 10)
Our Universities are not developing capacity or building any skills. Employers have been complaining since forever that most graduates are not employable.
Summary: UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IS CRAP TOO.
Right now, 51% of our population is 19 years and younger and 44% are 14 years and younger. So we have a lot of young people.
We are estimated to be 3rd most populated nation by 2050 with over 600 million people, made up of course by most of the current young people and the unborn. In comparison, population of many western countries are dropping. Germany will be down 15% and Portugal will be down 18.6% by 2050.
So if you put all these together you only arrive at one conclusion, we have a very large and increasing number of young people (the future) but very terrible academic institutions to groom and shape them.
In my mind, I’m thinking, with our these young people, we have a chance to create a great future by impressing heavily upon them through proper development-focused (not just basic literacy) education to build a very large and highly skilled workforce for the future just like they did in Singapore and South Korea. So any effort at all to make a little forward progress is more than welcome.
I’m eager to see Nigeria in the top 5 global economies in the world in the near future and with young population like this and sound education, it is not just possible, it is begging to happen.
Education is an emergency case in this country and it just kills me when I see someone antagonize people that are even trying something.