Western education in Nigeria advantage and disadvantage

Wednesday, November 01, 2017 at 6:03 PM by Adrianna Simwa 4 min read

Every good parent thinks about the best way to train their children and what kind of education they should obtain; sometimes, it is not so easy to make the right choices without a little research. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of western education in Nigeria.

The western educational system was fully implemented in the 20th century because of the influence exerted by colonists and Christian missionaries. In 1843, the first school in Nigeria was built in Badagry. Over time, other educational institutions appeared and Western education became firmly established in the lives of Nigerians. But has this had a positive or negative influence on Nigerians? Keep reading to find out.

Advantages of western education in Nigeria

The outstanding positive effects of western education in Nigeria include:

Independence. Quality education helped Nigerians obtain independence from their colonial masters. Our ancestors had to gather enough knowledge before they realized they could fight for their freedom, and this is how Nigeria became an independent republic. This is a very important achievement.
Relationship with other states. Nigeria has found common grounds with the rest of the world and has received universal recognition due to western education. A good example of this is the literary Nobel Prize won by Wole Soyinka. Nigerians can participate in international competitions and show themselves in positive lights thanks to western education.
Enhancement of living standards. The living conditions of modern Nigerians are indeed much better than those of our ancestors from the pre-colonial era. We are not lagging behind the rest of the world because we can now apply modern solutions in our everyday life issues. For example, the use of modern birth control methods; in the past, families grew very large and this did not always come with a lot of advantages.
The development of technology and science. This helps us develop from primitive standards of life. Various technological developments made it possible to make life more comfortable. Bridges, roads and other objects of modern infrastructure are being built thanks to western education.
Prospects for the future. Western education has not yet exhausted its potentials; it holds a lot of things that we can use to improve our future. There is a good chance that over time living conditions will become even better and Nigeria will be as improved as the most developed countries of the world.

Negative aspects of western education in Nigeria

It would be false to say that western education has no shortcomings because everything in the world has its advantages and disadvantages. These disadvantages include:

Moral decline. It cannot be denied that the level of morality in Nigeria has dropped considerably. Things like adultery, abortion, excessively provoking clothing have become more common than they were before.
Disagreements in families. In some homes, it is possible to find a part of the family in support of western ways, while another part considers them unnecessary. For example, a child may aspire to be familiarized with modern tendencies, while the parents would want him to grow up accustomed to the best national traditions. Such disagreements could also affect the love between spouses.
Less attention is being paid to African traditions and culture. Before the colonial period, local customs were observed very seriously. Due to the popularization of western culture and education, these cultures are gradually being forgotten.