FORGET SOUTH WEST, SOUTH EAST IS THE NEW CITADEL OF LEARNING

I just read this week that Imo state for the umpteenth time is the highest in the list of candidates that participated in 2016 JAMB exams. This record has remained consistent for the past five years or more as Imo state and the entire South East states have remained in the top three positions for JAMB exams, WAEC, NECO , GCE et al. If Imo does not pick the first position, Anambra state will. This has remained consistent for many years now. This does not occur by chance, rather it s a reflection of the value South Eastern states have placed on education in our contemporary Nigeria. Also, yearly, news from Nigerians in the diaspora navigate towards the same direction as many Ibo sons and daughters are trail-blaizing in different fields of knowledge across the globe. Ibos in particular dominate the black community in America who are renowned for their excellent performances and high level of enrolment in schools in the US.

Growing up, we were told stories and myth associated with each of the tripod that makes up Nigeria. The South West were renowned for education due to the transformational free education programs of Awolowo that empowered South Western Nigeria ahead of others in terms of their embracing western education early. Awolowo realized the value of education on time and took advantage of the free access to education the colonial masters left behind as one of their legacies to Nigeria which allowed many Nigerians to travel to UK and study. They also left vestiges of a good education standard in Nigeria before leaving. All these Chief Awolowo leveraged on with his free education package to the South West which made the Yorubas top the list of educated people then. While the South East or Ibos were associated with their ingenuity with business as many young people preferred to learn trade than to acquire western education. And of course the North was the worse of as just a very few percentage of Northerners cared about education rather all they plan from birth is how to get government jobs either by borrowed certificates or bought ones under the table from Northern schools and even schools in London. The North was all about growing their groundnut pyramid then.

So it is obvious now that the narrative is changing and there is new kid/zone in the block that has altered the equation from what it used to be. Today it will be wishful thinking for South Western Nigeria to continue to dwell in that illusion that they top in education because statistics does not favour them. Even the numbers that come out from South West still has many Ibos on the list as many Ibos live in South Western States. The South East has taken over and is toping the chart comfortably with no signs to relinquish it in a hurry. This is helped more by the belief in the South East that the have to be the best if they desire to get their own share in Nigeria as the equation has always favoured the North and the South West in terms of getting Government jobs or even working in a high brow private sector like banks, oil companies, etc. So, the East believes that it is only through education that they can take what belongs to them in this faulty political expression called Nigeria. While even the most illiterate from the North will be given priority followed by the West before South East will get any attention. So with many traders headlining their businesses sectors and churning out millions, they found the need to give their kids the best education possible. Apparently, the more South East traders acquired  money, the more the recognized the need to send their kids to schools both in Nigeria and abroad to acquire the western education which they lacked. This has continued to burgeon steadily in recent years while the free education programs of states like Imo state has eventually helped to explode the sector with many kids aspiring to acquire higher education even without their parents in the picture in terms of sponsorship. In states like Imo, if you go to Owerri city, eighty percent of the people into minial jobs and even artisans you see on the street are graduates. The keke/tricycle drivers are not left alone as many of them are university graduates. The people embraced education as if their life is tied to it regardless.

States like Enugu and Imo run their economy heavily through reliance on education as the highest number of youths in these states are students who help to lubricate their economy. Every year, many students from Lagos and Abuja enroll to study in Imo and Enugu thereby adding value to these states as they bring their big city swag and colour into the states. Businesses witness downturn and lull when these schools are on recess or holiday. These two states in particular boast of three or more tertiary institutions in them that always admit to excess capacity every year due to high demand for education in these states. Also the relative peace, freedom of worship, hospitality and liberal social activity helps to attract high number of students to South Eastern states more than other parts of Nigeria.

It is obvious that the South East has embraced western education fully and has also seen the results as many of their sons and daughters both at home and abroad with western education have continued to dominate the headline both at home and abroad. It is certainly not likely that they will relinquish this first position in a hurry in many years to come. As many of their youths are being sent abroad yearly to study in the western world and import the knowledge back home through their fami