Tag Archives: Education

Education, issues, Naija, Personal Development, Politics, University

Why Nigeria’s Workforce Debate Is Stuck at the Wrong Altitude

For two weeks, Nigerian commentators have argued over whether Tosin Eniolorunda is right that Moniepoint MFB cannot find 500 qualified Nigerians to fill its vacancies. I have read several commentaries, opinions, and research outputs. Each is responding to something real. But for me, the debate is being argued at the wrong altitude. The real question is not “where is the talent?” The real question is: what is the talent supposed to be for?

When a country commits to a long-term economic and industrial strategy, its education system must become the mechanism for delivering the necessary human capital. The curriculum, the skills pipeline, and the financing for training should not operate in a vacuum. They should be intentionally reverse-engineered from the ultimate goals of the national vision. That is how graduates are prepared for the future economy the country intends to build, making the education system fundamentally downstream of national vision. Three cases make the principle visible.

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issues

Reclaiming Journalism: Elevating Policy Over Political Drama

Taiwo Oyedele & Anthony Blinken. Images from AB Magazine and The New York Times

One of the greatest needs of human society today is to resist the temptation of letting politics overshadow the narratives of development. Unfortunately, this has become increasingly common, leading to the erosion of qualitative conversations about substantive issues. Add to this the high-speed consumption of information and the democratized media space, and we find ourselves caught in a spiral of ugly dialectics, yielding little more than sensationalized reportage with no progressive value.

More troubling, however, is how journalists, who are meant to shape public discourse by asking intelligent questions of those in power, often veer into the realms of mischief. They court political jesters who “must politic” instead of engaging meaningfully with policy experts. Even when they sit down with individuals who staff the critical nerves of public policy, their focus tends to remain firmly on politics, leaving policy discussions as an afterthought.

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issues

Public Policy and the Critical Factors of Time, Skills, Resources, and People (2)

Skills – The Engine of Policy Execution

Skills are the lifeblood of effective policy implementation. Public policy is about ideas translated into action, and the competence of the individuals and institutions involved determines whether those ideas thrive or flounder. While the vision of a policy may be grand, without the right skills to design, execute, and adapt it, even the best-intentioned efforts will fall flat. Conversely, skilled policymakers bring so much wisdom into how governments deliver on their mandate and promises.

In public policy, skills operate on multiple levels. Policymakers require analytical skills to craft sound policies, negotiation skills to build consensus, and foresight to anticipate challenges. On the other hand, the bureaucrats and technocrats who implement these policies need the technical know-how to translate concepts into actionable programs. Then there are the citizens, whose awareness and participatory skills can significantly influence a policy’s reception and success.

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