By Milcah Tanimu
Nigerians are criticizing Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), after a video resurfaced of him condemning Nigerians who go abroad to study courses that could be learned locally, such as law, economics, and English. This comes after his son, Jordan, graduated with a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Queen Mary University of London.
In the video, Wike argued that Nigerians should only study abroad for fields lacking expertise in local universities, such as engineering, agriculture, medicine, and ICT. He said, “Why send someone to study English or economics overseas when we have good faculties in Nigeria?”
However, Wike’s stance contradicts his son’s education abroad, leading many to accuse him of hypocrisy. Nigerians have pointed out that political elites like Wike often criticize the system but don’t support it themselves.
Wike’s actions highlight the lack of faith that political leaders have in Nigeria’s education system—the same system they are meant to improve. This hypocrisy has sparked debates about the credibility of Nigerian universities. If leaders don’t trust local institutions for their own children, what message does that send?
There have been calls for laws banning public officeholders from sending their children abroad for education. However, many believe such laws are unlikely to pass due to the selfishness of the political elite. Instead, Nigerians advocate for electing leaders who genuinely care about the country’s development.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore criticized Wike for failing to improve Nigeria’s education system despite holding several high-ranking positions. He pointed out that Wike had served as Rivers State governor and education minister, yet failed to build schools of sufficient quality for his children.
Sowore remarked, “Wike looted Rivers State and couldn’t build a school good enough for his children. It’s a crying shame.”
This controversy underscores the ongoing issues with Nigeria’s education sector and the disconnect between leaders’ public statements and personal actions.
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