Nigeria still needs social sciences graduates

Nigeria’s search for a good mix to propel its development efforts seems a long way if we are to agree with the recent statement by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, that the country is already saturated with graduates who studied social science courses. Alausa came to this conclusion at a ceremony in Abuja, […]

Nigeria’s search for a good mix to propel its development efforts seems a long way if we are to agree with the recent statement by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, that the country is already saturated with graduates who studied social science courses.

Alausa came to this conclusion at a ceremony in Abuja, to hand over certificates to 11 approved universities.

He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu wanted universities to focus on producing graduates who are problem solvers that can contribute to nation building.

“Nigeria has more than enough social science graduates. What we need now are problem-solvers graduates with life skills who can drive industries, build infrastructure, and improve lives,” he said.

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Many, however, disagree with the minister, arguing that what Nigeria needs is the marshalling of the country’s human and material resources to propel its development.

The Social Science Academy of Nigeria (SSAN) in a statement in Abuja, by its president, Professor Chike Okorocha, described the minister’s remarks as “a violent negation of the Universities Autonomy Law” and an example of “anti-intellectualism” by public officials.

He said: “The position of the minister is not guided by facts. He was silent on the current number of social science graduates in the country and the quantum deemed desirable.

“Social sciences were birthed out of the quest and intellectual introspection to find solutions to the social problems that arose from the Industrial, American and French Revolutions and latterly, World War I and II. In the 21st century, these social problems have multiplied by leaps and bounds. 

“Nigeria is currently in the throes of poverty, social and political exclusion, economic downturn, underdevelopment and unwieldy dependency, insurgency, terrorism, ethnic irredentism, gender exclusion and social inequality, crime and delinquency and violence, illegal migration and human trafficking, over urbanization and rural decay, agricultural atavism, religious intolerance, insecurity and instability, among others. 

“The social sciences were created to tackle these difficulties. Indeed, the subject matter of the social sciences and humanities are the foundation of societal development. We therefore require more social scientists, not less. A nation that has no social scientific and humanistic enquiries into its values, structures, political and socio-economic relations cannot achieve sustainable development and security.”   

The minister’s statement could have been in line with the current global trend where countries are giving full attention to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to boost their economy and make life much easier for citizens.

But we at the Daily Trust believe we should be careful of throwing the baby with the bath water. Much as we want to propel the study of sciences, we must also not ignore the importance of social sciences in the development of any nation.   

It is also important to find out why we have the “saturation” of social science graduates and address it rather than just dismissing the issue.

One reason is as a result of our inability to tailor these courses to meet our manpower needs. Years of development plans have not taken into consideration what the country requires in science and technology and social sciences to meet our development needs.

 Again, over the years we failed to redesign those courses to meet the new trend in the market by ensuring curriculum reform to include practical, digital, and entrepreneurial skills.

We agree with the assertions of the SSAN as the minister has not only failed to justify the basis of his statement but also failed to give reasons why Nigeria does not need this crop of graduates any more.

Indeed, the minister’s statement contradicts the recent decision by the federal government to reintroduce the teaching of history in our secondary schools.

We recall a similar unsubstantiated claim by a former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, that Nigeria had enough doctors to take care of the citizens’ health needs.

The minister needs to realise that development models around the world involve the input of all segments of society and decisions taken are often the results of research and studies that cut across the various aspects of society. It is safe to say that Nigeria has failed to address basic issues such as boundary disputes and farmers-herders clashes due to our inability to apply historical and sociological perspective to the issues.

Daily Trust calls on the federal and state governments to embark on complete overhaul of our educational curriculum to be in tune with modern realities. The curriculum must be designed in such a way that graduates can apply what they learn in the society they live in. All courses must be designed to be multi-tasking to have an impact on society.

As a first step, we must strengthen vocational education at the secondary school level. This will enable our youth to appreciate the need for hands-on tasks and prepare them to apply whatever they learn practically.

The government, at all levels, must provide opportunities for fresh graduates either to work for the government or be on their own.  With this, we can have sociologists who can provide their services to government and private sectors in solving social problems.

Nigeria needs to design ways to use the talents of every one of its citizens.