The problem with Nigeria's north
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| "Almajiris" at the entrance of Shehu Shagari market Sokoto, Nigeria |
Written by Sopuruchukwu Egbodo @SopuruEgbodo
Before my sojourn in Sokoto north-west Nigeria where I am presently observing my one year compulsory Nigeria’s national youth service, I had always believed just like most of my comrades from the "South-side" (South-east and South-South) of Nigeria where I hail from,that the root cause of every problem (including deadly riots and the Boko-Haram) emanating from the "North-side" is a result of lack of education. Judging by its decision to build almajiri schools across the northern states I believe the Nigerian government under the immediate past president bought the hullabaloo too.
Before my sojourn in Sokoto north-west Nigeria where I am presently observing my one year compulsory Nigeria’s national youth service, I had always believed just like most of my comrades from the "South-side" (South-east and South-South) of Nigeria where I hail from,that the root cause of every problem (including deadly riots and the Boko-Haram) emanating from the "North-side" is a result of lack of education. Judging by its decision to build almajiri schools across the northern states I believe the Nigerian government under the immediate past president bought the hullabaloo too.
If lack of education is not
the problem, then what is? Two things (I have observed) are the root causes of
the problem in Nigeria’s north.
Religion
Like I have earlier said in
one of my posts on this platform, everything in the north (using Sokoto as a
case study) revolves around religion.The religion of the people and its laws
dictates almost everything they do, be it in associations, behaviors etc.The
women are meant to add the hijab (That sometimes cover their bodies from the
head to the toes) to their daily outfits not minding the "extremely
scorching" heat that characterize this part of Nigeria.A man can abandon you
in his shop or office to go & pray even though you have waited hours for
him.If one is bound in such a way by his beliefs, he could as well do anything
for its sake even...
Bad and visionless governments
Even without consulting
Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics on this,I can say (from my
observations) without blinking that the illiteracy and poverty rate in
northern Nigeria is simply mind blowing!
Even with a myriad of
government owned primary and secondary schools dotting the landscapes of the
Sokoto sahara attendance to the schools is most times than not zero, and
government has continued to fund these schools even without plans and ideas on
how to increase attendance.
Even the students who attend
the schools not minding their level still find it hard to arrange a phrase
using english words. Why? The english language is "Purposely"
extinguished from the social curriculum of the average Hausa man right from
childhood for reasons I suspect to derive from both religion and economic
colonization by the leaders too.
Note that a mind that is
bereft of education is very much open to poverty.
Now you know, that lack of
education or illiteracy in the north is not the major cause of the problems in
northern Nigeria, it is just (what clinical psychology calls) a secondary symptom.
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