Here in this post, we are going to outline and discuss in detail the role of education to development in Nigeria. We hope you find this insightful.
The progress of a country socially or economic wise lies solely in its educational prowess. Education is the key ingredient both in self-development and the development of a nation. Education to a country’s development is like the rising of the sun at the break of dawn.
In other words, it is the driving force to move a country forward. To truly get the drift of the importance of education to the development of a country, it is essential to know what education means.
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What Is Education?
There are many definitions of education but it is necessary to stick to one which in simple term connotes that education is the process by which knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs are acquired. It is broad as it involves teaching, training and learning especially in schools or colleges in other to improve knowledge and develop skills.
According to Wikipedia education is derived from the Latin word “educatio” which means to breed, to rear or to bring up.
In relation to the above, it simply means that education helps to nurture and develop young minds from its roots in other to bear fruits that would benefit the country immensely in the long run.
Education is a major investment in the human capital development in terms of humans utilizing their full potentials by being useful to themselves and the society at large.
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Education has brought about great awareness in the efficient administration of a country’s political, social and economic sectors.
Development improves the overall performance and productivity of a country. A country can be fully termed developed when it has been able to meet its social, economic and financial needs.
The development comes as a result of the total satisfaction of the citizens of a country through gainful employment, provision of basic amenities, elimination of poverty, etc.
Not to deviate from the topic of this article which is the role of education to development in Nigeria. Education has impacted greatly and positively to the development of Nigeria.
It has simply changed the face of Nigeria in which a lot of improvements have taken place over the years thereby attracting foreign investors who in return add to the economic value of the country.
Education brings about intellectual freedom and not slavery and this incite creativity that helps in promoting a country’s development.
Though the educational sector in Nigeria has not been highly catered for or given undivided attention by the federal government which has brought about incessant strike in the time past and the standard of education in Nigeria might not be able to meet up to the standard of other developed countries but to some extent the role of education to development in Nigeria can still be seen in the introduction of
technological influence on the system of operation in the country which has brought economic and social development in the country.
Education as the key actor in the movie titled “Development in Nigeria” has played a significant role which would be fully discussed below.
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Role Of Education To Development In Nigeria
1. Boost Economic Growth
Education helps to boost the economic growth of a country.
Through creative business ideas by young entrepreneurs and business owners, the economic development of the country is ascertained.
Furthermore, education has also attracted foreign investors who see the opportunity to utilize the keen minds of the youths in the country in other to yield a return for their investment and in reciprocation, the country also gains economically.
2. Improve The Standard Of Living
Education helps to improve the standard of living in the sense that it provides opportunities for the citizens to acquire a good job thereby earning a reasonable income to live comfortably and this contributes to the development of the country by reducing the rate of unemployment in the country by providing skilled labour force to help add value to the economy.
3. Promotes The Culture Of Creativity
An educated mind sees the available avenues to increase productivity and impact on the country’s economy positively.
Education promotes the culture of creativity in the development of the country as a new approach is adopted in tackling the country’s problems economically, socially and financially.
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4. Reduction In Poverty
Education helps to drastically reduce poverty.
The more educated people a country has, the more manpower the country will get and the faster it will be for development to take place.
The increase in the literacy level of the people of a country will help eradicate poverty as innovative ideas will be created to engage a large number of people within the working age.
5. Increase In Agricultural Productivity
Agriculture is the largest producer of labour in Nigeria and increases in its productivity will lead to the development of the country.
The role of education to development in terms of an increase in agricultural productivity is that it helps enlighten farmers on incentives or measures to adapt to improve the farming process and also on the farm techniques that will yield great output.
6. Provides The Needed Manpower For National Development
Education helps to provide the needed manpower for national development in the different sectors of the country. It also helps to boost the overall development of the country as all resources are effectively utilized to provide efficient results for the country’s development.
7. Long-term Productivity And Growth
Education ensures long-term productivity and growth at both micro and macro levels.
This adds to the development of a country by ensuring quantitative and qualitative improvement in all the sectors of the economy.
Education helps to raise people productivity and creativity thereby promoting entrepreneurship and technological advances that would take the country’s development sector to the next level.
8. Prudent Financial Resources Management
Education helps to curb financial mismanagement in a country.
Good and judicious use of a country’s financial resources is necessary for economic development and education makes a reality of that.
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9. Diversification Of The Economy
Education helps in the diversification of the economy in the sense that it makes a country derive returns from the other sectors of the economy and thus facilitating development.
Conclusion
Education is the heartbeat of a nation and when it fails to function effectively the country suffers and as such much attention should be given to education to improve the country’s development generally.