"Why Nigeria Has Remained Underdeveloped Over the Years": Enugu Gov Peter Mbah Speaks
- Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State highlighted the absence of productive skills in Nigeria's education system as a root cause of the nation's underdevelopment
- Mbah announced a new policy mandating all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu State to implement experiential learning models
- Mbah stressed that experiential education fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has identified the absence of productive skills in Nigeria’s education system as a key factor behind the country’s underdevelopment.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 19, at the first Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Distinguished Personalities Lecture Series, Mbah called for a shift from traditional rote learning to experiential education.
Source: Twitter
Why are our universities not producing inventive graduates? The answers lie in the inconvenient truth that learning in our schools, from basic to tertiary, has not imbued our young people with productive skills and competencies. This is a root cause of our underdevelopment," he revealed.
Mbah calls for new policy on experiential learning
In response to this challenge, Mbah announced a policy requiring all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu to adopt experiential learning models, The Cable reported.
“We hereby announce as a policy that all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu State must henceforth deliver experiential learning to our children.
“This change must reflect in planning, budgeting, curriculum reform, assessment, and research," he said.
Mbah emphasized the transformative potential of experiential learning, describing it as essential for fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students, The Punch reported.
“It empowers students to see themselves not as passive learners but as active problem-solvers," he said.
Nigeria ranks 7th globally for international students in US
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria has been ranked as the 7th country with student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities with 20,029 students in 2023/2024.
The 2024 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange said Nigeria is Africa’s leading source of international students and the 7th largest globally.
Source: Legit.ng
