Why Nigerians flock to Ghanaian schools

As government and ASUU continue to flex muscles over issues and regularly bicker over the slide in the quality of education, parents and their wards get trapped in the battle of wits. Oftentimes, industrial disputes could take a year to resolve as they generally are reluctant to reach a compromise. And such disagreements are incessant. […]

As government and ASUU continue to flex muscles over issues and regularly bicker over the slide in the quality of education, parents and their wards get trapped in the battle of wits. Oftentimes, industrial disputes could take a year to resolve as they generally are reluctant to reach a compromise. And such disagreements are incessant.

Indeed it is now a common phenomenon that our graduates spend between six to eight years in the universities for courses which ordinarily should take four to six years. The enlarged duration in the school of course is through no fault of most of them. They are victims caught in the web of the tyranny of senseless power play and bureaucracy.

Unfortunately, our graduates always have to contend with the fall-out of the distortions in their academic timetable. It not only sad that they leave school behind schedule; but the embarrassment of having to justify the extension anytime they go searching for jobs and advanced degrees especially abroad is unacceptable.

A Nigerian lawyer, Ugochukwu Nweke shared his experience in Accra recently. “I got admitted into the University of Jos in 1992. We finally started the first semester on January 18, in 1993. We did our matriculation December 19 in 1993. I wrote my first semester examination in 1994. I graduated from the University of Jos in 1999. I went to read law, a five-year course. Instead of me to come out in 1997, I came out in 1999.

“When I went for my masters interview in the United Kingdom, one of those who interviewed me looked at me and said you went to school in 1992, you came out in 1999. What happened? I said sir, are you a stranger in this world? Anyone should know about the educational system in Nigeria. Don’t tell me you do not know what is happening in Nigeria?”

Nweke’s remarks provoked an exciting glee from the audience. It is nothing to laugh about. This is rather a disturbing phenomenon, due to what it portends for the system.

The Nigerian educational system is hit by a crisis of confidence not because of the quality, but the seemingly incompetent administration by those in authority.

There exist a large colony of Nigerian students in Ghana, who throng in their thousands to seek a more stable and predictable system to actualize their educational ambition. Daily more troupe in to seek placements in tertiary institutions in the country.

According to Mr. Olaoluwa Oladeinde, the National Vice-President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Ghana chapter, conservatively there are more than 35,000 Nigerian students studying in different higher institutions in the country.

He claimes that the figure was even an estimate, as there were more students still to be reached and registered by the association.

Ghana’s educational standard is acclaimed globally to be higher and better than Nigeria, not because their products can outclass our graduates. Our enormous intellectual resource continentally and globally cannot be ignored.

Like in other spheres of our national life, poor management and disregard for little but necessary details have robbed us greatly.

Ghana has about five government owned Universities namely: The University of Legon (the country’s foremost university); the University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; the University of Development Studies Tamale and Winneba University of Education.

Then there are polytechnics like the Accra Polytechnic; Wa Polytechnic; Takoradi Polytechnic; Polytechnics in Kumasi; Koforudua, and Ho. All the regions have polytechnics except the Central Region which hosts the University of Cape Coast.

Lately there has been the proliferation in the number of private universities offering degrees and certificates in all manner of fields. Most of them are populated by foreigners, ostensibly because of the exorbitant fees charged by the institutions.

Perhaps the most notable feature about these private institutions is that they are affiliates of government owned institutions. What it entails is that graduates from the private schools are awarded degrees and certificates by the government universities they are affiliated to. So it is just like the school is an outreach center.

For instance, graduates from the Regent University of Science and Technology which is affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi are awarded certificates and degrees from the later. So are some others.

There are also claims by some private universities that they award degrees and certificates from universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and other parts of Europe.

There is an understanding between government and privately owned universities. The Ghanaian National Universities’ Commission coordinates and supervises their course content and demand strict adherence to its stipulations. Every institution is subjected to due process; none is given preference above the other.

Ultimately, graduates from either side of the divide do not enjoy preference or suffer disability in the employment market. They are accorded equal opportunities by prospective employers.

The Ghanaian educational system has its short falls though. The authorities ensure they are managed and contained and so do not escalate to the scale of a national disaster and emergency.

About two months ago, students of the University of Legon clashed with school authority over hike in tuition fees. The crisis ensued for about a forth night. It was characterized by peaceful demonstration, unlike the typical Nigerian situation, no tear gas was used. Police supervised students’ processions. The school authority was not necessarily heady, as it bowed subsequently to their demands and rescinded its decision.

The protests were orderly. Hoodlums did not take advantage of the situation to unleash destruction on school property. Eventually the school was not closed down for even a day. Here lies the difference between Ghana and Nigeria: management of crisis. So, in Ghana the school calendar is predictable.

Oladeinde succinctly puts it thus: “I cannot stay back home and spend more years than I actually should have spent just to acquire a first degree.”

Another Nigerian, Emmanuel, a medical student of the University of Legon lent support to the view, “I think the educational system in Nigeria is not really okay. The curriculum is very good but certain things are not functioning all right.

“For instance, the issue of extended period of study due to strikes; although we have several institutions of higher learning compared to Ghana. Yet it is still difficult to gain admission. And after all the stress you still stay longer than you wish, in Ghana there is nothing like that,” he blustered.

Nweke buttressed this fact stressing, “You know that hey I have been admitted in 2011, I am going to graduate in 2015. Certainly it is going to happen.”

Another factor for the exodus of students from Nigeria is what they attributed to difficulty in accessing tertiary, especially university education in Nigeria. The competition is stiff, thereby occasioning long delays in securing admissions to the University.

For instance, Emmanuel Babatunde of the University of Ghana Medical School said, “It is quite difficult to secure admission back home, whereas in Ghana when you meet the entering requirement you get a place.”

Sandra, another respondent is still seeking admission in Ghana. She believes the prospect of getting a placement in one of the universities is higher than in Nigeria.

She averred that she could not afford to wait endlessly for admission that might never come in Nigeria.

During his recent visit to Ghana, President Goodluck Jonathan at the Ghana’s Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) declared that because of the huge population of Nigeria, the number of universities and other higher institutions were grossly inadequate to meet the demand for higher education in Nigeria.

He literally put a rubber stamp on the prevailing trend, urging Ghana to take over in providing education for Nigerians.

“Despite the number of federal, states’ and private universities in Nigeria, yet we do not have enough. So if Ghana can provide solid education for our people and other African countries they should do it,” he announced.

The allure and clamour for Ghana schools has its many challenges. Comparatively, it costs far more to study in Ghana than Nigeria. Only a handful of her citizens can afford their fees, even though it is quite reasonable when juxtaposed to what foreigners pay. Foreign students pay fees that sometime leave tongues wagging.

Is it all about fleecing foreigners, because they deemed it necessary to obtain a degree in one of your institutions of learning? Is it that the course contents of these institutions are spectacular? Frankly, only the University of Legon can compete comparatively with the first generation universities in Nigeria in infrastructural development. For the array of private universities most of them can be best described as ‘glorified secondary schools’.

Michael Opeyemi Ige, a student of the University of Winneba is also the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students’ (NANS) in Ghana.

He told Weekly Trust that his greatest challenge as a student in Ghana was probably the incessant hike in school fees.

“But there is virtually nothing we can do about it. You know we were not forced to come here. It was our choice coming over all the way from Nigeria,” he said.

He cited the University of Cape Coast, where a medical student pay 1.5 million naira ($10,000) per session as tuition.

Oladeinde said that the cheapest higher institution in the country collects 240,000 naira ($1,500) per student each session. In the University of Cape Coast, the least fee a foreign student pays to read any other course is 1,040,000 naira ($6,500) per session.

Hitherto, the University of Ghana, Legon charged 1,040,000 naira ($6,500). Just recently, it bowed to pressure from foreign students and reduce it to 808,000 naira $5,050. Accommodation is another challenge students have to tackle. Hostel facilities in these institutions are scarcely adequate, some do not even have. Essentially what students do is to avail themselves with off campus accommodation.

In Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast metropolis there are quite a number of hostels. The influx of expatriates and other exigencies necessitate such arrangements. But these facilities do not come easy.

For instance, it cost two persons about Ghc 600 or old Cedi 6 million (N 60,000) each per semester to hire a less than standard room in some hostels scattered in Legon (around the university). For those who opt to live alone the rent ranges from Ghc 700-1,000 per semester or 7 -10 million old Cedi (N70, 000-100,000) per semester.

Students actually scramble for them, because of their proximity to the university campus. An estate agent informed me that they were highly in demand by the students, because they could trek to school for lectures.

Ghana may be a lower middle income country (World Bank 2010 assessment) but it is undoubtedly an expensive place to domicile. Food prices and other consumables almost double the going prices in Nigeria. Books, writing materials and indeed printed materials generally are prohibitive. Sending your ward to school in Ghana is a very expensive venture. The rich can afford it, but children of the less affluent groan.

Oliver, a law student at University of Legon said he opted to study in Nigeria to enhance his competitiveness in global employment market.

He told me in confidence that he survives by combining study with working as an estate agent. He described it as very stressful, but he has to pay his huge bill.

As for Opeyemi, the only way out of the financial strait was to get assistance from government and corporate institutions back home.

“As I said we are doing a number of programmes. We intend to get bursaries. We are working on how we can get bursaries from Nigeria to support our education here,” he said.

The curriculum in both systems are basically similar, being both Commonwealth countries, most of the respondents confirmed.

Oladeinde however differed from the others describing Ghana as having an upper hand. “I can say that they are ahead of our system. In terms of curriculum, In Nigeria, where you have to study you are conditioned to a particular course of study for instance, you are a banking student, and you are only treated to banking courses.

“But in Ghana here you get to learn like banking courses to computer science, like you are knowledgeable in every area. So by the time come out, you are not just going to work in the bank. You can work in any company you wish to work. For example, I am a banking student; I tell you I write programmes for companies. I organize programmes because I have been infused with different courses,” he reasoned.

Ehi, a female medical student of the University of Legon School of Medicine responded that she was quite happy to be in Ghana and has no regrets schooling in the diasporas.

She said being in Ghana afforded her the opportunity to work very hard, in order to justify the huge amount her parents were investing in her education.

“Ghanaians actually study a lot and so it is like, if you do not do as much as them you will lag behind. And besides you are paying a lot more money, so you have to utilize your parents’ money as much as possible,” she declared.

The Nigerian Students’ community in Ghana is very vibrant. They face quite a great deal of discrimination here. Ghanaians generally consider Nigerians as too smart and slippery, thestudents are not left out. Their courage is highly admirable, particularly, their niche for comradeship and networking. There is hardly any social event put in place by Nigerian dignitaries they not register their presence.

A representation of the student’s community will always be present, proudly showcasing our green, white and green colours. Their sense of patriotism is infectious; their belief in the Nigerian State is unimpeachable. Even the re-branding campaign has been very effective in Ghana, due to their drive and indefatigability.

The Association coordinates most of the activities of the students in the country. It was founded in January 26, 2009. Its organizational structure is made of the national executive council and the senate.

The national executive council has eight national officers who are students from different higher institutions in the country. The Senate is made up of heads of the Nigerian Students Association in 54 institutions in Ghana.

These bodies together coordinate students’ activities and see to their welfare in their respective schools.

Ige espoused recently the idea behind the establishment of NANS in Ghana saying, “The idea is to network and create international friendship between the National Union of Ghana Students and our people.

“So the idea is just to come together. We do not want to know if you are from any State. We just want Nigerians. And we organize educational programmes.”

He explained that the desire to create friendship, network and promote a sense of oneness informed the establishment of the association in diasporas.

“So we create cordiality with the students, so by doing that we create a kind of network among the students to make it easier for us. So when we are talking about 50,000 students all over the country so it is not easy.

“We also make use of the Facebook, the e-mail and SMS. I think with that system it makes it easier for us to network among our colleagues. We have quite a number of them from different schools attending programmes. Even when we give them short notices. The e-mail is there, the internet is there, the cell phones and all that, they make it easy for us to network,” said.