THE IMPACT OF EDUCATION ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY

摘要

Education is a potent tool for national development. The quality of education in a nation is a primary coefficient for determining the level of development of the nation. This is because education impacts directly on the citizens who are the subject of national development. If the citizens are ill-prepared and lacking in knowledge, skills and aptitude, the nation will wallow in underdevelopment. The article seeks to tackle the problem surrounding the obvious inability of the system of education in place in Nigeria to drive the growth and development of the country. How well has education contributed to the development of Nigeria? Is there something amiss in the system of education in vogue in Nigeria? Can the system be improved in such wise that it can catalyse more efficiently the development needs of Nigeria? The article therefore studies the impact of education on the development of Nigeria. It finds out that education has not made the needed impact on Nigeria’s development because the system of education in the country is not purposive and productive. The article suggests that poor curricula development is the major challenge to qualitative education in Nigeria; a factor that hinders education from imparting the required competence on the citizens necessary to spur the nation to greater heights. The article concludes that for education to catalyse Nigeria’s development, attention must be given to local content attribution in curricula development. In this regard there is great need to adapt Nigeria education to the Nigerian culture and national need since education is basically a tool for transmission of culture and enhancing national development. The article is certain that until Nigeria system of education mirrors the Nigerian culture, it will continue to fall shy of the standard needed to drive Nigeria forward politically, economically and otherwise.