Suchergebnisse

The history of western education in Nigeria was intimately bound up with the history of western education in Europe. During and after the Dark Ages in Europe, the church dominated the business of education and this had a tremendous impact on the intellectual life of people not only in Europe and America but also in the British colonial territories of Asia and Africa. Historically, the British imperial ambition and effective occupation of Nigeria dated back to the second half of the 19th century even though some Europeans including British traders had assumed trading activities with the people in the coastal areas of the region since 1533 (Osokoya 2008). It is on record that the British naval forces started their pre-occupation of Southern Nigeria in 1851 when they bombarded the city of Lagos to punish Kosoko the King of the city who continued with the obnoxious slave trade despite its abolition in the British empire in 1833. Barely ten years after the bombardment, the British government annexed the city to the British Crown (Osokoya 2008). It was only in 1900 that the British flag was flown in the Northern Nigeria (Abubakar, 1980). Britain thereafter adopted a number of measures including coercion and diplomacy to remove all visible African opposition to her full central authority of the Nigerian nation. In fact, with the amalgamation of the Northern protectorate with the Colony and Southern Protectorate in 1914, Britain had succeeded in making herself the sole paramount ruler over a people of different cultures and multi-lingual communities which she unilaterally named Nigeria. Interestingly, western education in the area preceded the establishment of the British Crown as the European Christian missions had free hand in the provision of western education to the people in the area a decade before and about three decades after imperial occupation.

The global consensus is that education is a process that helps the whole human being, physically, mentally morally, socially and technologically. This enables one to function in any environment in which one may find oneself. Education also performs a major role in equipping the individual with the skills and knowledge which would help to transform any economy. Thus, it is the greatest investment that any nation can make for the quick development of its economic, political, sociological and human resources. Believing that education is the cornerstone for national development, Nigeria has adapted education as the "principal instrument par excellence" for effective national development. Her philosophy of education is based on the integration of the individual into sound and effective citizenship with equal educational opportunities at all levels through the formal and non-formal school system. More importantly, the government of Nigeria believes that the provision of functional education is the primary means of upgrading the socioeconomic condition of the rural population. Such rural populations, particularly the nomadic pastoralists and the migrant fishermen are difficult to educate. This is reflected by their participation in existing formal and non-formal education programmes which are abysmally low; their literacy rate ranged between 0.2% and 2.0% (Tahir, 2003).

The global consensus is that education is a process that helps the whole human being, physically,mentally morally, socially and technologically. This enables one to function in any environment in whichone may find oneself. Education also performs a major role in equipping the individual with the skillsand knowledge which would help to transform any economy. Thus, it is the greatest investment that anynation can make for the quick development of its economic, political, sociological and humanresources. Believing that education is the cornerstone for national development, Nigeria has adaptededucation as the "principal instrument par excellence" for effective national development. Herphilosophy of education is based on the integration of the individual into sound and effective citizenshipwith equal educational opportunities at all levels through the formal and non-formal school system. Moreimportantly, the government of Nigeria believes that the provision of functional education is the primarymeans of upgrading the socioeconomic condition of the rural population. Such rural populations,particularly the nomadic pastoralists and the migrant fishermen are difficult to educate. This is reflectedby their participation in existing formal and non-formal education programmes which are abysmallylow; their literacy rate ranged between 0.2% and 2.0% (Tahir, 2003).

The history of western education in Nigeria was intimately bound up with the history of westerneducation in Europe. During and after the Dark Ages in Europe, the church dominated the business ofeducation and this had a tremendous impact on the intellectual life of people not only in Europe andAmerica but also in the British colonial territories of Asia and Africa. Historically, the British imperialambition and effective occupation of Nigeria dated back to the second half of the 19th century eventhough some Europeans including British traders had assumed trading activities with the people in thecoastal areas of the region since 1533 (Osokoya 2008). It is on record that the British naval forcesstarted their pre-occupation of Southern Nigeria in 1851 when they bombarded the city of Lagos topunish Kosoko the King of the city who continued with the obnoxious slave trade despite its abolitionin the British empire in 1833. Barely ten years after the bombardment, the British government annexedthe city to the British Crown (Osokoya 2008). It was only in 1900 that the British flag was flown in theNorthern Nigeria (Abubakar, 1980). Britain thereafter adopted a number of measures includingcoercion and diplomacy to remove all visible African opposition to her full central authority of theNigerian nation. In fact, with the amalgamation of the Northern protectorate with the Colony andSouthern Protectorate in 1914, Britain had succeeded in making herself the sole paramount ruler overa people of different cultures and multi-lingual communities which she unilaterally named Nigeria.Interestingly, western education in the area preceded the establishment of the British Crown as theEuropean Christian missions had free hand in the provision of western education to the people in thearea a decade before and about three decades after imperial occupation.