Can sombori scream ‘Agege wa o’, lol!
It was such a delight this evening to listen to back-and-forth arguments about one of Nigeria’s most thorny issues – merit versus quota – and that from high school students. What gladdened me more was that one of the schools around me was on the line-up. And then they won, Vetland Senior Grammar School, Agege, won. Wow, I loveeeettttttt!
Back to the matter.
‘The Quota System in Nigerian Education undermines Merit’ was the title of the Regional Semifinals of the ‘I beg to differ’ schools debate organized by NigeriaInfo 99.3FM. The Vetlanders affirmed the need for the Quota System as a way to promote equity and opportunity for people who didn’t start on the same pedestal as others, and also as a point of emphasis on national integration and unity. Their opponent, Grace High School, Gbagada argued that Quota System defeats diligence, hard work, and excellence as espoused by those who have given their all to merit a university admission and then they are denied the rightful position. As I listened to the debate, I was grinning from ear to ear as a barrage of African proverbs even Mandarin, were being churned out by these lovelies to drive home their arguments. I mean, it’s a breath of fresh air!
My thoughts.
Quota System will always seem unfair. When you have given your best and then someone who had performed lesser gets ahead because a government policy allows them. That’s really unfair.
But that’s the point of equity over equality, that’s the point of DEI, that’s the point of affirmative action as championed in every society. We didn’t all start life on the same pedestal, and it’s never going to be. Life didn’t deal all of us the same footing. Are we going to bind those who started out slowly to the Philistines?
Yet, as much as I champion the reality of Quota System, I must also add that the way we have managed it in Nigeria makes us look like an unserious country. In some cases, our practice of the system almost looks like handing out a fat reward to indolence and inefficiency, while making utter mockery of excellence.
I call on the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Ayo Omidiran that, in practice, we can still place a threshold for which no one, irrespective of wherever and whenever, must fall below if they must enjoy the Quota System. That way, we are pushing everyone to roll up their sleeves in excellence while someone who misses out based on the federal character principle still retains their personal sense of worth and communal sense of belonging in the society.
The Executive Chairman of Agege LGA
For all it’s worth, let me add that the Executive Chairman of Agege LGA, Hon. Vinod Obasa should plan to host these schoolchildren. They will be participating in the regional finals next Monday, 3pm on NigeriaInfo 99.3 FM, and I urge him to listen on radio or watch live on Facebook. Win or lose, they have also secured a spot in the national finals. That’s Agege being presented to the entire country on a good note.
A big thank you to the Management of multiple radio stations – NigeriaInfo, Cool, Wazobia, and Kids FM – and the sponsors for promoting education through this initiative. Children’s interest will gravitate towards what society makes the most predominant in their consciousness. If we want more education, we must introduce more educational initiatives and make them glamorous.