Table of Contents

Afe Babalola Writes on Reviving Nigeria’s Education System

WHY STUDENTS GET INVOLVED IN CULTISM

Afe Babalola: What motivates students to become involved in cultism? Several explanations could be offered, but I will discuss a few. Some of the motivations include:

I. The urge to gain unearned advantages
ii. The need for power, influence, and status among peers

iii. The desire to hold unwarranted authority and respect on campus

iv. The willingness to challenge injustice and unfairness, particularly from school authorities and lecturers

v. An intense wish to intimidate others by showcasing the ability to enact violence on both real and perceived foes

vi. The necessity to pressure and coerce both lecturers and fellow students into complying with unjust requests

vii. The aspiration to secure unearned rights and privileges for members

viii. To gain undue favor and financial assistance

ix. For male cultists, to create opportunities for establishing romantic relationships through the use of intimidation or promises of protection on campus

x. The desire to collaborate with like-minded peers to escape consequences and unjust punishments

xi. The compulsion to seek false courage stemming from personal insecurities or lack of parental guidance and proper upbringing

xii. Simply out of misguided curiosity and engagement in social vices.

In light of the aforementioned points, I would like to propose several measures to reduce or eliminate cultism on our campuses:

i. There should be comprehensive awareness programmes across all campuses about the dangers and negative consequences of cultism, including premature death.

ii. Membership in any secret societies or campus cults should be completely banned.

iii. From the moment of matriculation, freshmen should be informed of the expulsion consequences should they engage in cultism.

iv. Mandatory reporting of the identities of cult or suspected cult members should be enforced.

v. The establishment of external monitoring by students, faculty, non-academic staff, and the wider academic community should be implemented.

vi. Immediate expulsion of any student involved in cultism upon identification and apprehension, with their names published in national newspapers along with photographs.

vii. Legislation should be created that prevents individuals convicted, expelled, or rusticated for cultism from gaining admission to any educational institution in Nigeria.

viii. Cultists should be prohibited from acquiring Nigerian passports.

ix. There should be a specific law and designated courts for cultists to ensure swift handling of cases involving them.

x. The sale and consumption of alcohol and drugs on campus should be banned.

xi. Election processes for student unions that involve financial transactions should be disallowed.

xii. Individuals suspected of being cult members should be barred from running for or holding student union positions.

xiii. Regular inspections of dormitories by appointed trustworthy officials of the institution should be conducted.

xiv. Academic and administrative bodies within universities should be mandated to publish exam results within a set timeframe. Failure to do so should be treated as misconduct, with strict penalties imposed on offenders. It is noted that results for diploma and other certificate part-time courses are released promptly due to additional fees.

CONCLUSION

From this analysis, the following key points should be be emphasised:

1. Our education system has been significantly undermined by the admission of poorly prepared students.

2. The quality of students from secondary schools seeking or gaining admission to universities is markedly low.

3. There is an urgent necessity to promptly and decisively reform our education system from primary to tertiary levels.

4. JAMB should recognise the autonomy of universities concerning admission criteria, especially for exceptionally talented students and age restrictions.

5. The entire curriculum for elementary and secondary education needs to be reviewed and updated to align with contemporary trends and realities.

6. Emphasis should be placed on the formal training of teachers, especially in elementary and secondary schools.

7. Institutions that award Higher School Certificates (Basic Studies) should be reinstated, with a focus on enabling direct entry to universities through the HSC, thereby eliminating the need for the JAMB examination.

8. The salaries and benefits of teachers, lecturers, and professors should be increased to foster optimal performance.

9. Discipline must not only be observed but also be enforced in all aspects.

10. The global trend, including in the USA, England, China, Japan, and Australia, is to permit universities to charge fees while the government continues to cover a portion of university expenses.

11. The issue of funding needs to be addressed openly and honestly, without any bias or political influence.

12. It would be self-deceptive and would cause unnecessary harm to our educational system if we assume that the government can and should bear all costs of both federal and state universities.

13. The current practice worldwide is now based on cooperative funding that involves all stakeholders.

14. Students who achieve outstanding academic results, regardless of their financial background, should be granted full scholarships.

15. Children from low-income families should not be denied access to university education; they are entitled to various forms of support, such as free tuition, bursaries, scholarships, or loans, similar to practices in developed countries.

16. Tuition fees should be tiered: parents of wealthy students should pay the full amount, those from average backgrounds should pay less, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds should not have to pay at all.

17. The contributions of alumni, endowments, and donations from large corporations should take on a more significant role, as seen in developed nations.