Development, 2013, 56(2), (190–201) © 2013 Society for International Development 1011-6370/13 www.sidint.net/development/

Thematic Section

Education as a Strategy for Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream

NWUDEGO N. CHINWUBA

ABSTRACT This article is an appraisal of Nigeria’s economy, its divisive as well as uniting forces, on the one hand the abundant natural resources and strong cultural traditions, and on the other hand the bane of corruption, violence, and governmental inefficiency. All these have been fully identified and engaged by the nation’s Vision2020 published by the National Economic Commission. Criticism of corruption in Nigeria is widespread, but it needs to be examined whether it is a problem by itself, or whether it is a reflection of growing poverty and related problems, which if addressed will lead automatically to an ebbing of corruption. This article proposes a ‘lateral thinking’ approach, which focuses on education as a means of improving the system of governance and the quality of governmental policy. KEYWORDS human development; mind; corruption; culture; civility; dialogue

Introduction Nigeria is a nation of rich human and natural resources, ranked 6th oil producing country at least since the past 30 years. Nigeria has an estimated population figure of a 158 million (158,000,000) people (Jibril, 2013: 1). Regrettably, as at today the country is ranked among the 16th poorest countries in the World and among these poor countries, Nigeria is the only oil producing country. Since independence in 1960, from a very bright prospect, its record has become full of woe. At independence in 1960, the then Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa raised the beacon of hope for future relationship with the erstwhile colonizer: ‘… based on the happy experience of a successful partnership, our future relations with the United Kingdom will be more cordial than ever, bound together as we shall be in the Commonwealth by a common allegiance to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth who we proudly acclaim as Queen of Nigeria (hence) we are grateful to the British officers who we have known, first as masters and then as leaders and finally as partners but always as friends’.1 This hope remained alive for a very considerable time, the United Kingdom opening her doors to the nation. Aside from its ranking in poverty, today, Nigeria is ranked as number 14 of 63 countries, which have failed or are failing (Tinubu, 2010: 22). The country is racked by sectarian violence, widespread poverty, rampant corruption, and international notoriety Development (2013) 56(2), 190–201. doi:10.1057/dev.2013.34

Chinwuba: Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream (Ikhariale, 2013). Yet, this is only one side of the story. On the other side, it is also a country with a proud history and dynamic culture, a country that has produced some of the world’s best writers, musicians, thinkers, sports figures, and activists. Notwithstanding the daily struggle for existence, the disgust with a corrupt polity, and abhorrence of civic strife and intolerance, Nigerians love Nigeria and neither the politician nor the ordinary citizen delights in the prospects of life outside the country. For the vast majority of Nigerians, the place to be is in Nigeria.

Some remarks on culture It is true that Nigeria has become a notorious country, but this is a very recent development, perhaps no more than three decades old. The irony is that all the reasons for the notoriety go against the grain of what many Nigerians think to be the cornerstone of their culture and society, namely, charity, interdependence, religious tolerance, and pacifism. Alms giving is a very unique and fashionable Nigerian tradition, Fridays and Sundays in Nigeria demonstrate what a truly religious people Nigerians are. Nigerians think of themselves as interdependent, sharing with one another. Many genuinely do not understand what the quarrel over religion is, as they are used to attending religious functions interchangeably, Christians dancing away when a Moslem faithful marries or departs and vice versa in the now widely acknowledged owambe (Abati, 2011). There was a time when the country was known as a trailblazer in religious tolerance (Okoh, 2011). In many areas, churches and mosques are located in one arena and despite their distaste for indigenous African religion, many people visit the shrines and some of the shrines are openly located in conspicuous parts of town. Religious riots are still totally loathed, abhorred by the vast majority of the populace, who view them as instigated by other motives. Nigerian culture also has a strong distaste for trouble and rancour, preferring ‘a live and let live society’ filled with laughter and humour. As the latest development programme notes, ‘although never explicitly expressed, there has always been a “Nigerian Dream” ’. The dream of every Nigerian is

to live in a peaceful and prosperous society managed by trustworthy and credible leaders who will ensure the provision of equal opportunities for economic empowerment, gender equality as well as the protection of basic human rights. The majority of the people look out for one another and indeed for visitors and foreigners among them. However, regrettably, as again, the latest Development Programme notes, ‘over the years, the core values that bind the Nigerian people together have been eroded. There has been a crisis of identity, perception and (national) orientation which has resulted in unacceptable behaviour and promoted violence among Nigerian people. The traditional mutual trust which existed between the leadership and citizenry has also been destroyed’ (Nigeria Vision 20:2020, 2009: 77).

The deleterious impact of persistent poverty The reasons are not hard to seek. Although underdevelopment in emerging economies is more often attributed to corruption, the question that must be addressed is the originating cause of the peculiar nature of corruption in these countries? Why would a person engage in primitive accumulation, especially when there is no guarantee as to the life span of such individual or indeed that of his descendants? It is thus not surprising that Jeffrey Sachs has raised one perspective: ‘the notion that corruption remains the bane of underdevelopment therefore does not entirely hold true. There is no doubt that Africa needs solutions not only for disease control, but also for chronic hunger, rural isolation, and growing environmental degradations, often the result of still booming populations’.2 The ‘Nigerian Dream’, which includes obedience of the law in the pursuit of prosperity and peace, requires the fulfilment of the basic amenities of life (Oyebode, 2005). This is a missing link in the quest for advancement in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. As Oyebode writes, … accordingly, the law must provide a framework for the realisation of the yearnings of the preponderant majority of the population if it is to have any

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Development 56(2): Thematic Section relevance to their existence. Thus, it is not sufficient for the constitution to proclaim equality before the law when legal services are priced beyond the reach of the ordinary person. Nor can we talk of the right to life when the constitution fails to guarantee the right to work … if the end of the law is really to make life meaningful for the majority of the populace, then we must depart from a conception of formal equality to one which emphasises the need to redress social imbalance and inequality in the opportunities available for wholesome living.3

The result of this gap is that legal and institutional development has drifted away from its cultural roots and focused only on the superficial. Laws are copied from other nations without reference either to their larger purpose or to the historical, political, and social context (Akpamgbo, 1977; Uzodike, 1990; Atsenuwa, 2013: 2).4 Education is preoccupied with immediate prospects rather than inculcating curiosity, cooperation or entrepreneurship (Ninalowo, 2010; Alao, 2011; Fashola, 2012; Jibril, 2013). In the end, laws are meaningless and the Nigerian carries on day-to-day in circular pursuit of necessaries, never attaining the minimum standard of human dignity. As Ogunbanjo (1992) notes: … law must admit of certain limitations. Although legal mechanisms are not completely ineffective in promoting or reinforcing social and economic change, the extent to which their impact is felt will vary according to the response or consciousness of the citizen in contributing to the total harmony of the nation. The choice of the legislative model (whether positive as well as negative sanctions can be employed to support the law) should depend on sociological research into the likely response of the citizen to the proposed change. This is important in a society such as ours, where enforcement agents are of necessity inadequate to the demands of this period in our history.

It should not come as a surprise, then, that everything that was a taboo and unimaginable in the culture has, without notice, crept into every aspect of the nation’s life, as kidnappings, killings, maiming, lynching, burning, summary executions, and bombing become commonplace. The traditional 192 Nigerian peaceful way of life has vanished.

From poverty to education The thesis of this article is that the observed deterioration of the social fabric can be traced back to the inability to address poverty and underdevelopment, and that this in turn can be traced back to the inadequate educational system and its implications for the legislation, policymaking, and environmental conservation.5 These issues may appear less consequential in comparison with the gravity of the national challenge, but we argue that they are determinants of future emancipation and development. Development may appear to be an economic term but in reality, it has a meaning for everyone. It may mean different things at different times to different people.6 Traditionally, in economic terms development meant the capacity of a national economy, whose initial economic condition has been more or less static for a long time, to generate and sustain an annual increase in its gross national income at rates of 5 percent to 7 percent or more (Todaro and Smith, 2009: 14, 15; Ninalowo, 2010). A change of definition became imperative with the realization that despite achieving this goal, citizens lived minimally and in very poor conditions in most developing countries. Development did not, therefore, translate to better life for the majority of the citizenry but for a few who determined the economic indices of development. In determining issues of advancement and development Nigeria has always desired democracy, formulated and embarked on National Development Plans, and aspired to ‘the good life’, without an articulated study of underlying reasons for inability to implement failed plans with resultant consistently declining economic status. The nation has also failed to recognize that development requires direct and deliberate thought processes. Reasons must be articulated for the desire to move forward, in other words that there must be an evolving spirit guiding people in whatever they do or aspire to become. More importantly, when developmental plans fail and targets are not met, there are no strategic institutions or individuals propelled or motivated to understudy the reasons for failure, rather new plans are initiated repeating the same circle of failure.

Chinwuba: Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream Jibril (2013: 1, 2) a distinguished academic of Northern Nigeria abstraction notes: 2006 population census revealed that only about 8.7 percent of the population aged 6 above had received higher education by 2006. By comparison, 17.78 percent had received secondary education. Sadly, upto 37.63 had received no education at all … Given Nigeria’s estimated population of 158.423 million in 2010, the total estimated enrolment in higher education of 2,500,000 represents enrolment ratio of only 11.29 percent for 18–25 years olds (whose population was estimated to be 22.137 million in 2010). In the case of universities, although some 40 percent of them are privately owned, the share of enrolment of the private universities is less than 10 percent of the total … In terms of graduate education, less than 10 percent of all Nigerian students are engaged in postgraduate study, and most of these tend to be in the humanities and especially social sciences, with very few graduate students enrolled in the sciences, engineering, or medicine []. Indeed, in some universities more than 50 percent of the graduate students are enrolled in business administration and related courses, responding to the needs of the labour market. Overall, while Nigeria’s higher education sector is among the largest on the African continent, reforms are urgently needed ….7

It is noteworthy, that Nigerian parents spent approximately N137 billion in 2007/2008 for their children studying in the United Kingdom and United States and where they cannot meet up with admissions requirements to US and UK universities, there are now more Nigerian parents with a preference for Ghanaian, Togolese, South African education and so on. (Tinubu, 2010). According to World Bank reports, education in Nigeria is at its lowest ebb because the conditions in higher education institutions such as overcrowding, deteriorated facilities, admissions malpractices, encourage emergence of secret cults (Committee on Needs, 2012). There are of course other reasons including the method of impartation of knowledge, low motivation for lecturers resulting in distraction such as militant unionism. Other identifiable reasons are academic corruption, state of research and University–Industry partnership and so on (Jibril, 2013: 35–39). At the moment, the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities is in an ongoing

national strike, which has lasted four months. This was preceded by that of the lecturers of Polytechnics. One Editorial comment notes: ‘How do governments spend billions of Naira they budget annually for education? Bureaucracy consumes the bulk of the money. Duplication of agencies that manage education is the biggest cost centre in our national education management. Governments are running up new costs. New higher institutions are being built with emphases on physical structures. Laboratories, libraries and research centres that they require to be centres for meaningful academic engagements are available in inadequate numbers’. It is absurd that governments – the owners of the universities – would need an ASUU strike to determine the status of the facilities in universities. (Vanguard Ng., 2013)

The policy context, MDGs and Vision 2020:20 The national recognition of these challenges has taken place in the context of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). Nigeria aims at implementing the MDGs vide the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) whose principal objectives are to create wealth, provide jobs, restructure the economy and position the nation for economic growth and poverty reduction with a view to making Nigeria one of the 20 most advanced countries in the world by 2020 with a per capita income of not less than US$4,000 per annum. The subsequent articulation of all the goals emerged as the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 (2009), which encapsulates the ideals of NEEDS and captures the sustainable infrastructure development strategies for sustainable development. It envisions the country by the year 2020 as an industrial giant, with a large, strong, diversified, sustainable, and competitive economy that effectively harnesses the talents, energies of its people and responsibly exploits its natural endowments to guarantee a high standard of living and quality of life to its citizens. Relevant to this article are the following particular conceptions of the Vision: ●

Optimizing human and natural resources potential to achieve rapid and sustained economic growth. 193

Development 56(2): Thematic Section Translating economic growth into equitable socio development that guarantees a dignified and meaningful existence to all her citizens. ● Building human capacity for sustainable livelihoods and national development. ● Creating a peaceful, equitable harmonious and just society where every citizen has a strong sense of national identity and belonging, is truly valued by the state, and is adequately empowered and motivated to contribute to the task of nation building. ● Improving the availability, affordability, and transferability of housing units in the country through developing a new land administration and land transfer system. ● Creating a level of environmental consciousness that enables and supports sustainable management of the nation’s God – given natural endowments to ensure their preservation for the benefit of present and future generations. ● Foster a culture of recreation and entertainment for enhanced productivity. ● Preserve the environment for sustainable socioeconomic development. ● Promote the sustainable development of Nigeria’s geo-political regions into economic growth poles (Nigeria Vision 20:2020, 2009: 4, 8, 11, 14, 28). As the year 2020 approaches, it has become pertinent to revisit these issues, and take a more pragmatic and coherent approach to the issues and search for policy-based ways of resolving them. Similarly, as the world begins to debate the contours of a post-2015 development agenda, it would be useful to contribute to it in the light of the Nigerian experience. ●

The critical role of education In a University of Lagos inaugural lecture series, ten observable traits of a typical Nigeria were said to have been identified by the then Governor General of Nigeria who amalgamated North and South into modern Nigeria.8 These traits were queried as possible shackling attributes responsible for the dilemma in which the nation and its people find themselves. The attributes are: ‘in character 194 and temperament, the typical African of this race-

type is a happy, thriftless excitable person; (i) lacking in self-control; (ii) lacking in discipline; (iii) lacking in foresight; (iv) full of personal vanity; (v) with little sense of veracity, and fond of music; (vi) his thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment; (vii) he suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past; (viii) he lacks the power of organization, and he is conspicuously (ix) deficient in management and control alike of men or business; (x) he loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility …’. (Oghojafor, 2013: 2–3) These traits are perhaps, no different from that ascribed to man in Hobbes’ State of nature. In Hobbes’ state of nature, the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short (Hobbes, 1985: 41). In Hobbessian parlance, the outcome of this state is: ‘no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death’ (Hobbes, 1985: 41). Education has proved to be the most portent solution to this state of affairs in the experience of mankind. A perfunctory perusal of this position side by side Jibril’s statement of educational affairs in Nigeria provides a clear picture of why a lot more needs to be done with respect to the educational sector in Nigeria if the individual must advance from a state of nature to an evolutionary stage (Oyakhiromen, 1999, n. 5). Realizing this movement requires a ‘lateral thinking’ approach, which focuses on education as a means of improving the system of governance and the quality of governmental policy. An important issue with education in modern Nigeria is the antiquated approach to education, which does not encourage creativity, cooperation, or entrepreneurship. Everyone wants a university education but, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Today, university education has become a farce to obtain in many cases a meaningless degree. According to Jibril (2013: 29, 30), ‘results from a

Chinwuba: Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream study of the external efficiency of Nigerian universities, suggest that Nigerian employers find university graduates deficient in communication skills, conceptual and analytical skills and technical proficiency even in their field of training’. It is riddled with malpractices commencing from the high school level to the joint entrance examinations. Parents, children, educationists, and employers are all willing participants. Employers only ask for a university degree with a second-class upper division or higher. Neither employers nor parents view education as a means of intellectual development. Similarly, international donors concentrate their efforts at the mundane – food aid, charity, and support for sickness and disease – all circular motions in a corrupt environment, instead of capacity building for change through quality education from cradle to responsible adulthood. Hence there is a complete and total dearth of imaginative skills and enterprises. A balanced and meaningful education will in due course produce a real middle class, which will effect or influence a meaningful political change. At the moment, the majority of the populace is poor. In pursuit of basic essentials of life, many do not have the freedom to think or organize or challenge a corrupt political system. As Tinubu (2010) puts it, ‘mass poverty is not only a threat to our democracy, but also a potent threat to our national security and prosperity’. In addition, Fashola (2012: 21), notes ‘I believe that the objective of the drafters of the constitution was for us to use the instrumentality of literacy, arts, science and technology, etc. to address our many issues of national development’9. Case law reveals that education encompasses the study and dissemination of ethical principles and cultivation of a rational religious sentiment 10 and in Re Shaw’s Wills Trust what has now come to be known as a kind of finishing school was validated.11 In this case Vaisey, noted in his judgment: There is reference to the arts of personal contact, of social intercourse, and the other arts of public, private, professional and business life. I read the words ‘the other arts’ as being ejusdem generis; that is to say, arts of the same sort and kind as the arts

and graces of personal contact and of social intercourse; in other words, teaching people how to behave better. That does not apply only to one particular country – not in Ireland any more than England, and not in England any more than Ireland. Those kinds of arts and graces need to be taught and they should be taught. Whatever may be my own personal views about this type of education, they have nothing to do with the case. It is education of a desirable sort, and which, if corrected and augmented and amplified by other kinds of teaching and instruction, might have most beneficial results.12

As mentioned, we propose using sports as an entry point for the rehabilitation of the quality of education. In addition, education that fails to target women would continue to promote impunity and skew up all forward looking visions of the nation. The exclusion of women from developmental endeavours through male dominance and reinforcement of various worn out cultural practices remain a source of impediment to the full actualization of the contributions, which would otherwise be made by this class (Atsenuwa, 2011: 6–7; Chinwuba, 2012a, b). The Nations Vision 20:2020 correctly identifies that education, ‘is both a basic human right and critical element in human development. Therefore, human capacity development facilitated by strong learning systems is central to the attainment of Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020’. (Nigeria Vision 20:2020, 2009: 34)

Education and an overarching vision Education is essential for creating a shared national vision. Without a vision, the people perish. Such a vision needs to encompass the structure of the legal and judicial system, the nature and functioning of the economic system, and the nature and goals of policymaking. Ayoola (2012: 9) has noted the positivist bent of the Nigerian judiciary in which law is seen as a ‘command’ and thus obsessed with technicalities rather than ultimate ideals, a pattern that he calls the Achilles heel of the judiciary in its role in national development and home grown jurisprudence. Similarly, there is very little analysis of the 195

Development 56(2): Thematic Section ultimate purpose of the economic system, namely, to free people from poverty. The relationship between the pricing and affordability of goods, services, and products has never received a logical attention. The Nigerian education system does not lead to a good understanding of the basis of successful enterprise or the dignity in labour. In the case of property and taxation, the same malady regrettably runs through. It has not been a part of the national discourse to consider a broad-based consultative approach to land owning, property distribution and the nature, aims and objectives of taxation.

Education and the environment Educational development requires not only an educational system, but also a healthy environment. A beautiful, orderly, and aesthetic environment is calming on the individual, being calm, joy is awakened in the mind and the mind flourishes with intuition, knowledge, wisdom, and therefore, greater output.13 The bane of poverty, recklessness, inaction, and lack of imagination in the country is traceable to the deteriorating environmental conditions. Buildings are scattered, disoriented, unplanned, and in chaos .14 As Bunk’se notes, in the final analysis, humanism is about the quality of civilization, its habitats, and the human condition. It is not about materialistic, anthropocentric, or egocentric greed – at least not as an ideal. To be sure, like any species, humans are self-serving from the standpoint of survival, but that self –serving characteristic can be guided by what Glacken calls ‘enlightened anthropocentrism’ that is by the desire to make the world a more humane place. It is unlikely that intellectual constructs, such as idealism, materialism, hermeneutics, deconstructivism, and similar post-modern efforts to mediate between man and the world will reveal them. For geographers it is the human sense of place and the quality of airs, waters, and places that matter – of buildings and cities, farms and natural landscapes.15

Architecture and infrastructural provisions in school environment from primary to tertiary should, rather as is presently the situation, be provided with 196 aesthetics and ennobling of the mind as a focus.

Education and religion Why is there an issue with religion in Nigeria, when Nigerians have traditionally lived side by side in religious harmony. It must be noted that fanaticism is traceable to the poor education of the mind. The problem is not Evangelism, which can be carried out through good works, mutual respect, and redemptive positive action. Where education is properly pursued this outcome is natural. Not surprisingly, case law promotes religion and charities in its advancement taking the firm view that any religion is to be preferred to ‘no religion’ (Re Thackrah [1939]; Neville Estates Ltd. v Madden [1962]. The Nigerian Constitution by Section 10 provides categorically that the Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion, whereas Section 38 guarantees to citizens the right to religion to change, manifest, and propagate their religion freely (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999). Although ethnicity and state of origin has some part in national engagements and public considerations, religion has no apparent or recognized role in the affairs of the nation. The people have always worked together and respect for religion is as much a part of the people as air and this is as it should be. Mosques are scattered all over the South as churches were spread across the Northern parts. Riots and grave concerns over religion are a recent development, attributable majorly to political and economic grievances. Admittedly, these were exacerbated by military rule, which has in many ways reinforced patriarchal structures and some of its deleterious outcomes (Htun and Weldon, 2011: 145; Atsenuwa, 2011: 6–7)). Other exacerbating factors are lack of adequate training of the police to handle peaceful protests and demonstration. The average man in the street, in the markets and elsewhere are friends and inter-ethnic marriages have increased, rubbing off on national unity and down playing any tension attributable to religion unless when motivated by politics. Nigeria is a fertile ground for religious fervour. It is equally true that the world is now a global village with growth and what happens in one area effectively affecting the other either directly or

Chinwuba: Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream indirectly through migration of people. As Oyebode (2011) descriptively notes, ‘There is general awareness among members of the international community that peoples of the world share a common destiny and are joint stakeholders in the survival of the planet. The image of the Earth from space as a spherical ball dramatises the inter-connectedness, inter-dependence, and inter-relationship of the various peoples and nations that inhabit the world, irrespective of differences of colour, gender or social circumstances’. It is therefore, incumbent on individuals and charities who are interested in promoting the several forms of religions and gaining adherents in Nigeria to recognize the diversity of the nation and target visionary ways of promoting true religion that can only flourish in a developed mind fashioned by indepth education in a peaceful environment.

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Renegotiating the route to a functional nation The solution to some of these problems lies in deeper thought processes that ennoble and groom the natural attributes of the individual for which an orderly aesthetic environment is an impetus. This will lead to a decline of impunity and rise of conversations, negotiations, and renegotiations – ultimate keys to the realization of an enhanced economy. The issues can be resolved if the call of Nigeria Vision 20:2020 (2009: 4) ‘on all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or religion to unite and stand behind a common cause of placing the country firmly on a path of sustainable growth, and taking it to its rightful place in the comity of nations’ is heeded. This call has a long pedigree in domestic as well as international covenants: ●

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It is in line with Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999, which enjoins all citizens to contribute positively to Nation building and Section 20, which enjoins the State to improve the environment for sustainable development. Similarly, Article 29 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, enjoins the individual to serve his national community by placing his physical and intellectual abilities at

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its service and Article 22, provides that the State has a duty to ensure individual and collective development and 24, the right of all peoples to a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development. Article 16 (1) provides for the best state of physical and mental health for the individual. In addition, Article 25 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, 1948 provides that ‘every man has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services’ (Amokaye, 1999: 84). Finally, these ideals are not far from those of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment, which though not elevating the right to a fundamental right as the African Charter, recognizes a link between environmental protection and enjoyment of human rights. By its preamble, the Conference recognizes that both aspects of man’s environment, the natural and man-made, are essential to his well-being and to the enjoyment of basic human rights – even the right to life itself. Principle 1 of the Declaration states that ‘Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being.16 Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child also enjoins State Parties to recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Article 31 recognizes the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child.17

The need for a paradigm shift Nigeria needs not be categorized as a failed or failing State if only a new paradigm is adopted – a shift from fear and mundane acquisitions to mind-building potentials of the citizenry. That the country has previously failed in implementing its developmental plans is not a valid justification of inaction. The people have consistently rejected inaction (Okoh, 2011; Ikhariale, 2013). 197

Development 56(2): Thematic Section As the Vision 20:2020 agenda indicates, a few things put in their proper perspective will make all other things fall in place and the ‘Nigerian Dream’ might just move from ‘mirage to realty’. Our argument is that this requires a kind of ‘lateral thinking’ approach, which focuses on the education sector as the strategic entry point for the revitalization of progress. This involves a number of aspects: 1. Support for Creative Pursuits: a. Foreign donors should encourage reading among the populace by empowering such non-profit organizations that promote reading. The focus of the donors should also shift to mind-building efforts and agendas rather than supply of material provisions. Where material provisions or infrastructures are to be made they should be specific and address specific educational infrastructural need. b. Private donors should be encouraged to set up scholarships in the arts and humanities as well as architecture. c. The call for deregulation of Nigerian Universities should be considered partially towards infrastructural provision. d. A specific tax should target multinational corporations and mega Nigerian corporations towards funding/provision of infrastructures for Nigerian educational sector. 2. Demand Side Strategies: a. The focus of employers to classes of degrees should shift to effective interviews such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator placement process/interviews that focuses on ascertaining a person’s personality and suitability for particular jobs. This would also ameliorate the pressure on students to seek particular classes of degrees at all cost. b. There should be a minimum basic qualification of a university degree in the humanities or law for aspirants to all legislative houses in the country 3. Training and Capacity Building: 198

a. The Government needs to establish a connection between it and the citizenry

by encouraging and facilitating peaceful expression of grievances. To this end, there is need to create a Ministry properly equipped with modern information technology to facilitate ease of access by the populace to express grievances through petitions and demonstrations. This Ministry should report only to the National Assemblies. b. A special arm of the police should be trained and equipped to handle demonstrations and protests according to international standards. c. The role of women in nation building should never be underestimated and therefore particular care must be paid to the education of women and gender mainstreaming. 4. Research and Analysis: a. There should be a broad-based body to study the question of accumulation and distribution of wealth with a view to restructuring society. Taxation should be utilized or engaged from the point of view of wealth distribution as well as individual contribution to nation’s wealth rather than government revenue generation. This body should comprise of lawyers, tax experts, philosophers, and politicians. b. There should be a broad-based consultative body to study and revise the laws of the nation with a view to repealing irrelevant ones and enacting updated and meaningful laws. 5. Environmental Focus: a. Government focus on planning should shift to enhanced aesthetic environment. This should encompass private public sector initiatives that encourage private provision of infrastructure in collaboration with government. There should also be encouragement for the use of architects in physical planning. To this end a broad-based consultative body should be set up to model Nigeria on an ideology. b. Neighbourhood playfield for children should become a priority for government.

Chinwuba: Renegotiating the Nigerian Dream Notes 1 Akinboye (2013: 4–5) quoting T.A. Balewa ‘Our Great Day has Arrived’ Text of Independence day Address to the Nation, 1 October in relation to Nigeria’s progress since independence. 2 Sachs, argues as I do that corruption cannot be tackled independently or in isolation as is the case with many Western and advanced nations that have moved away from seeking basic necessities of life (see also Waldron, 1991: 295; McLean, 1999: 2; Amokaye, 2004: 24; Sachs, 2005: 191). 3 Professor Oyebode’s (2005) analysis draws upon the vast reservoir of human learning, from the early Greek Philosophers to their modern successors. See also Fashola (2012: 21, 22). 4 In a recently delivered paper, Atsenuwa explored the coexistence of the regimes of laws and noted: ‘… what future is anticipated for the co-existence of both legal regimes given that in reality, they often times pull at themselves in different directions. These different directional pulls are real “tugs of war” fought by each side with the goal, not just of proving superiority but of vanquishing the other. Indeed, it is not unusual for the war to be fought by means of violent onslaughts on the integrity of the other’. This reality compelled asking some pertinent questions: ‘But how disparate, can the two legal regimes be expected to co-exist harmoniously as seems to be the aspiration of the present legal system?’ ‘Are we seeking to build or expecting to sustain our legal system on what is no more than a myth, that is, both customary law and human rights law can co-exist harmoniously without a conscious and deliberate effort to rationalise their differences?’ ‘If we do no more than we have been doing presently, is it not inevitable that the legal system would one day implode as a result of the internal frictions generated by the contradictions inhering in its sub-system?’ (Atsenuwa, 2013: 2). 5 Oyakhiromen (1999) argues that crime has overtaken the country because of the lack of ordered planning and an aesthetic environment, ‘the national economy was suffering with debt … [Per] capita income, a rough indicator of the quality of life facilities … [was] one of the world’s lowest. It displaced Nigeria from the middle position of 54th richest countries [by 1987] to the 13th poorest [by 1992]. Health profile presented also an ugly picture. Crude death rate was 16 per 1,000, mortality rate, 85 per 1,000, maternity mortality at 15/1,000. Life expectancy was 54 … There was in addition a growing dis-investment (local and international). The scarce resources, which ought to be used for provision of pressing basic needs, like transport, Medicare, housing, education and social welfare services, in order to enhance the quality of life, were diverted to crime fighting, thus distorting the domestic industrial structure. The expenditure of resources on anxiety, fear and precautions against potential criminal victimisation – fear and care that flow from insecurity and hopelessness – has become enormous; and, worse still, when added to those arising from state of economic emergency and depression, the situation becomes more aggravated’. 6 For instance, Fashola (2012: 21, 22) states that it is not enough to refer to economic growth for, ‘to the man in the street, the only appreciable indicators will be security of lives and property, access to qualitative education and medical care, employment opportunities and ease of doing business (including power supply and other enablers). For many, the economic indicators like interest rate, inflation rate, foreign exchange rate, cost of fuel, etc. would be matters of keen interest because their business and livelihoods depend on those factors’. 7 Jibril, FNAL,FNESA,FNIM,FLAN,OFR delivering a lecture on the occasion of the golden celebration of the establishment of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. 8 Sir Frederick Lugard. 9 Fashola, ‘Education, Research & National Development’ on the occasion of the University of Lagos School of Postgraduate Studies 8th Annual Lecture. 10 Re South Place Ethical Society (1980) 1 W.L.R. 1565. 11 In Re Shaw’s Will Trusts sub nom National Provincial Bank LD. v. National City Bank LD. and Others (1952) Chapter 163; (1952) 1 All ER 49. 12 In Re Shaw’s Will Trusts sub nom National Provincial Bank LD. v. National City Bank LD. and Others (1952) Chapter 163; (1952) 1 All ER 49. 13 The gains since democratic governance must however be noted particularly in some Southern States such as Lagos, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Edo. 14 In recent times, the Lagos State Government has captured the applause of residents in its efforts towards improving the physical quality of the environment and infrastructures in Lagos, thereby the quality of life. In furtherance of its efforts and objectives stated by the Governor as making Lagosians live in a functional rather than dysfunctional manner, the government has enacted the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010. The law aims at providing for the administration of physical planning, urban development, urban regeneration and building control in Lagos State and for connected purposes. In particular, the law makes provisions for greenery and trees, as well as urban regeneration. The government kick started its programme from a vision that it has consistently held on to, ‘eko oni baje’, translated to mean ‘Lagos shall not be blighted’. A few years back, no one would have imagined Lagos could take the shape it is beginning to take. 199

Development 56(2): Thematic Section 15 Bunk’se, E. V. ‘Saint – Exupery’s Geography Lesson: Art and Science in the Creation and Cultivation of Landscape Values’ (1990) 80 Annals of the Association of American Geographers 96, 106; (emphasis mine). See also, Section 22 of The English Commons Registration Act 1965 amended by Section 98 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; Meager, Rowena ‘New Town and Village Greens: back from the brink’ (case comment – Oxfordshire CC v Oxford City Council) (2006) Conv. & Property Lawyer 584; This Act makes places of natural beauty and historic interest a trust for the nation. C. George ‘Commons Act 2006 – new Life for new greens’ (2007) Journal of Planning & Environment Law 1283; Fragment from a Changing Legal Landscape – Planning Law Update’ (2005) Journal of Planning & Environmental Law 91; J. Holder ‘Overriding Public Interest in Planning and Conservation Law’ (2004) Journal of Environmental Law 377. The English Commons Registration Act 1965, established a map of all commons and village and town greens and required them to be registered. New village and towns green could also be created by 20 years user. A village or town green is ‘land on which either by specific statutory provision or customary right, or by continuous use for not less than 20 years, the inhabitants of the locality were entitled to pursue lawful sports and pastime’; see also, R v. Suffolk CC, ex p. Steed (1999) 59 P. & C.R. 102. 16 The 1987 Brundtland Report by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED or the Brundtland Commission after its chair, the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland); see also (Runnalls, 2008: 19; Amechi, 2010; Fagbohun, 2010: 508). 17 See also United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1995).

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