One feels ashamed as a Nigerians that no Nigerian University is ranked in the first 500 in the world despite the abundance of talents that we have.
Many factors count for rankings including but not limited to research output, number of successful PhD supervision, students satisfaction survey etc. I will like to analyze these three criteria.
Firstly, with regards to research output, I want to believe that Nigerian researchers are doing well unfortunately as a result of the fact that many of our experts are in the diaspora in pursuit of better earning power, the results of their research output count for the universities where they work. There are actually some in the country who are doing some good work but how many of these researches are published in reputable journals with high impact factors? Understandably, Nigerian Universities now insists that academic stafff must have publications to their credit to gain promotion. There are certain requirements these days for academics to have some international experience’ to attain the level of a senior lecturer. Thus, there is a new trend of Nigerian academics seeking to attend conferences outside the country in order to meet this creteria. It is important to stress that after doing a good job preparing conference materials that Nigerian academics attend reputable conferences.
Secondly, there is a need to review how thesis at the PhD level are supervised in the country. Why admit a student you do not wish to graduate? The purpose of setting admission standards is for you to be sure that you have admitted the right candidate. Conduct an interview aimed at testing the prospective candidates ability to do research. There is no point organising entrance examination fo research candidates. Again, there are some curious requirements in the prospectus of Nigerian universities. Asking research students to submit O’level results and NYSC certificate is so archaic. If the student has a degree it suffices that certain requirements have been fulfilled. Supervisors must learn to see research students as colleagues in Nigeria and not inferior.
Thirdly, student satisfaction is very vital. Unfortunately many university academics in Nigeria see themselves as demigods in their classes. You listen to a lecturer shouting ‘I will fail you!’ or ‘A is for God, B is for the lecturer and C is for the best student’ or ‘If you fail to attend the first class in the session, you will fail!’ Those lecturers who make such unguarded statements would receive a sack letter in a university in a developed clime. The universities know that student satisfaction is important.
In conclusion, it is important that lecturers in Nigeria develop good relations with students. They must realise that good universities recognise the term ‘mitigating circumstances.’ Strangely enough, if a university student in Nigeria misses an examination on account of ill health, that student is doomed to carry over the course. There are no feedback channels for a lecturer to provide feedback and a feedforward to a candidate who has taken a test or an examination. It is also important that we take into consideration the needs of students with disabilities. How many delexia students gain admission in Nigeria? Do we have special examinations for students with disabilities?? If we begin to do the right things maybe sooner than later we can have universities competing with the likes of Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge. Goodluck Nigeria!
Augustine Arimoro, a doctoral research candidate wroted in from the Kingston Law School, Kingston University London.
email: augustine.arimoro1@gmail.com. [myad]
