Nigeria gained independence in the year 1960 and since then the academic system has taken a steep decline in quality. Although very bad, this decline in quality didn't come to us as a surprise, we obviously failed to plan for the future. so, here we are today. My name is Onyemere Victor, I am a 200l student of Agricultural Engineering at the MICHEAL OKPARA UNIVERSITY of AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE, and today I will highlight some of the problems that I have been able to identify within my short stay on campus.

Teaching and Learning

How we approach teaching and learning activities in my school and other Nigerian Universities I must say is terrible. We see teaching and learning as a punishment. Both the lecturers and the students contribute substantially to the problems we collectively face in the academic environment. Most students need purpose, they need something to fight for, and they really need to be encouraged by every means necessary. Often times I hear Engineering students asking why they are being taught calculus and I say to my self, "wow", that's what the system has become; a joke. The fact that an engineering students still question why they are thought a thing like calculus simply shows how bad the education system has gotten. But we can do better. How can we do better? Education should be perceived as a way of life rather than some sort of punishment. Sorry to say this but it's the truth, most people who are Lecturers/Teachers are not doing the job because they like it, rather they are doing the job because it is the only source of income for them. That goes to show the level of unemployment challenging us in Nigeria, but I would rather leave it for another time. I really believe that people should be passionate about about teaching in this country if we want to see any significant changes in the near future.

Funding

Lack of funding by the government has reduced and will continue to reduce quality of education in Nigeria if nothing is done about it soon. Currently in my school, the number of research papers that are published by lecturers in my school reduces every year as a result of lack of funding by the government and other private agencies. When there is funding, people will be willing to work and help move the world forward. But as it is currently, the government even defaults in the payment of salaries of Lecturers/ Teachers and it is really bad. Teachers need money to survive, they have families, and they have their personal needs that require money to be attended to. Teaching activities cannot go on when the teachers are unhappy with the way that they are being treated. In my school, some lecturers decide to teach when ever they fell like it, at the detriment of the students whom they are supposed to be teaching. I really think that the government should pay more attention to the needs of the lecturers if we are to move forward in academics.

Infrastructure

Most buildings in my school and in other Nigerian Universities are in a state of disrepair. We do not have enough laboratories, the ones we have are grossly under equipped. The whole system is a joke. In my school currently we do not have enough lecture halls for the students, and it is really affecting our productivity negatively. The lecture halls are very hot, students are sweaty, and no effective sound systems put in place for communication.

A lecture hall in MOUAU

I personally don't any reason why students should be subjected to the above learning condition, it is totally uncalled for.
The government should really take active steps to make education better in MOUAU and either Nigerian Universities.

The education system in Nigeria seriously needs attention from the government and every other party involved in it.
Although there are so many problems confronting education in Nigeria today, I believe that solving the above problems will go a long way as all other problems take their rise from the three above