Our Actions Reveal Our Values by Mister Mobility
Humans have a penchant for blaming others for their troubles. There are very few people who will sit down to re-evaluate their actions and reflect to determine whether or not they need to make adjustments somewhere. Here in Nigeria, it is old news that education is mostly in shambles. We have tons of schools, yet the huge majority of graduates are unemployable without any further training or re-training. We have graduates who are unable to string a sentence together without grammatical errors. We have engineers who have never taken apart a combustion engine. We must mention the computer scientists whose only skills on a PC is the use of Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer.
We all know the problems. They have been re-hashed again and again over the years. It is true also that government has not lived up to its responsibilities for the most part. Or rather, that people in government have made sure that government does not by misappropriating funds. But how about us? Are there ways in which we encourage this rot in educational development?
- When as individuals, we spend more money on fun and entertainment than we do on personal development, what values are we reflecting?
- Do we spend more money on fashion than on buying resources that we can learn or develop new skills from?
- When we have access to the internet, what websites are our primary destinations – gossip and entertainment blogs, or blogs where we can find quality content for personal and professional development?
- Have you ever been to a cyber cafe and witnessed students (in school uniform) viewing porn sites, instead of using that access to learn?
- When our corporate organisations spend millions of Naira in sponsorship of music and sports shows, as against a few hundreds of thousands for educational shows and events, what values are they reflecting and encouraging?
It does not seem that as a people, we really value education. This is not to say that there are not pockets of exceptions to the rule. There are. But what we value is so clear from our actions and spending that they do not need to be voiced. If we will move forward, there has to be a sweeping change in the mindset of the average Nigerian. This is not just a government problem. This change needs to happen across board.
Yomi Adegboye AKA Mister Mobility, founder Mobility Blog. Mobile connoisseur. Maverick. Techie. Blogger. Entrepreneur. Agony Aunt. Adventurer. Amateur musician. Follow him on Twitter @Mister_Mobility, on LinkedIn at Yomi Adegboye, and Circle him on Google+. Listen to his music on SoundCloud.