Governance, Education and Creative Potentials of Nigerian Graduates: A Discourse

One of the cardinal goals of education in every nation is to develop the minds, creative potentials and skills of the citizens. This can be achieved through a well thought out plans and policies of government, whose constitutional responsibilities include: the formulation and implementation of workable educational policies. Therefore, this study is an attempt to explore the extent of success and failure of education policy in Nigeria with specific focus on the creative potentials and skills of Nigerian graduates for job creation and self reliance, which is one of the goals of education policy in Nigeria. To achieve its objective, the paper adopted the descriptive method of research, in which data provided and analyzed were generated from secondary sources - journals, text books, government publications and internet materials. Findings revealed amongst others that, the rate of unemployment, criminality, insurgency, kidnapping and other social vices are not only consequences of poor implementation of education policy, but also, the unemployability and inability of most Nigerian graduates to create jobs and become self reliant, form part of the resultant effects of poor standard/quality of education in Nigeria. Based on the findings, the paper recommended, amongst others that, for Nigerian graduates to practically develop and utilize their creative potentials and skills for job creation and self reliance, teaching/learning should, indeed, be practical, activity-based, experimental and ICT supported, especially in the sciences, and entrepreneurship development. Government


Introduction
Contemporary issues in Nigeria's socioeconomic and political development over the years, have not only centered on the quality of political leadership, but also on the quality of education and school graduates' employability and creative ability. As a matter of fact, development experts have often established a high degree of correlation between creative, innovative and qualitative leadership and national development. Thus, Nigeria, the world's most populous black nation, has been a focus of attention by both the developed nations of the West, the African nations and the blacks in the diaspora, because to whom much is given, much is expected (Fejokwu, 1996). Unarguably, Nigeria is a resource-rich country. It is the world's largest producer of columbite, a mineral containing iron, magnesium, and niobium.
Other natural resources include limestone, gypsum, granite, copper, zinc, gold and petroleum resources (crude oil). About 80 percent of Nigeria's land is suitable for farming and grazing.
The variety of crops includes cocoa, cassava, yams, rice, maize, groundnut, millet, sorghum, plantains, amongst others. Goats are the leading livestock, followed by sheep and cattle.
Despite these resources however, the mainstay of the economy since the 1970s has been petroleum (Fejokwu, 1996, Britannica, 2010. Drawing from the Nigeria's economic potentials, Rodney, (1976 p. 10) asserts: "A society develops economically as its members increase jointly their capacity for dealing with the environment. This capacity for dealing with the environment is dependent on the extent to which they understand the laws of nature (science), on the extent to which they put that understanding into practice by devising tools (technology), and on the manner in which work is organized". Clearly therefore, the development of creative potential of the citizens through sound and qualitative education that will enable them interact with their natural environment in a manner that available natural resources are not only known and listed in their volumes and tones, but such that the training, skills and knowledge acquired from school can practically be applied in tapping and processing of available natural resources for economic prosperity of both the citizens and the nation at large. In other words, there is a correlation between and among political leadership (governance), education, development of creative potential/skils, available resources and national development. In assessing the level of national development in Nigeria therefore, it has become fashionable to lay blames on the https://dx.doi.org /10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.11 political leadership for their deeds and misdeeds. In other words, the level of creative potential of Nigerians since independence in 1960 is a function of the quality of education that is designed and implemented by the political leadership. From all indications, therefore, the questions begging for answers in this paper are as follows: why is the rate of unemployment increasingly high among school graduates in Nigeria? Why do most Nigerian graduates have difficulties creating jobs for themselves in the midst of abundant natural resources? Must every Nigerian graduate look for White collar jobs? Does an average Nigerian graduate actually have the requisite creative knowledge and skills for job creation and national development? Is teaching and learning in Nigerian schools practical, activity based, experimental and ICT supported as recommended in the Nigerian education policy?

Objectives of the Study
The broad objective of this paper is to examine the creative potential and skills of Nigerian graduates for job creation and national development. Specifically, the paper attempts to assess the following key areas: 1. Whether or not teaching/learning in Nigerian tertiary institutions is practical, activity based, experimental and ICT supported as contained in section 1(8b-c) of the National Policy on Education in Nigeria (2008).
2. To assess whether or not the implementation of education policy in Nigeria is directly related to "overall community needs".
3. To assess whether or not the average Nigerian graduate has the competence and skills for employment creation thereby contributing to national development.

Methodology
This paper relied on secondary data. This implies that the information/data presented and analyzed were generated from relevant literature, textbooks, journals, newspapers, including government enactments. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.11

Literature Review
The Concept of Creative Potential It is pertinent to realize that nature has not only provided man with natural resources but also, the creative potential and skills for tapping, processing and utilization of the end products for human survival and comfort. Therefore, the role of education in the development of creative potential/skills cannot be overemphasized. Thus, the term creativity has to do with man's ability to create or the quality of being creative. Besancon, Lubart and Harbor, (2013) assert that "creativity is increasingly recognized as a valuable asset for individuals in their daily problem solving and their professional careers, that contributes to personal and societal development". Without doubt, unemployment, joblessness, robbery and different forms of social vices and insecurity, characterize the Nigerian state today. In the context of peace and national development, and with particular reference to abundant human and material resources in Nigeria therefore, creativity is required by Nigerians to drive national development and as a remedy to social problems, through the application of knowledge and skills which are products of not just qualitative education, but creativity-driven kind of education. Thus, creative potential is a latent ability to produce original as well as adaptive work, which is a function of an individual's training or education (Walberg, 1988).
Besancon etal, (2013) differentiate creative potential from intellectual ability when they posit that whereas intellectual ability often results in academic success, creative potential is best accomplished in original and unique outputs, recognized as valuable in a domain-based context. Therefore, creative achievement refers to actual production of a creative output that has been recognized as creative by certain group of persons. Agba and Ushie, (2014 p 187) have pointed out that "Information and Communication Technology have reduced the employment of highly educated workers in most organizations since their jobs are replaced by sophisticated information processing machines." Teaching and learning in Nigeria should therefore promote indigenous knowledge (IK) to enhance productivity. Nakashima and Rove, (2002) define indigenous knowledge as "the incomplete arrays of knowledge, know-how, practices and representations that guide human societies in their innumerable interactions with natural milieu; ...fishing and gathering, struggles against disease and injury; naming and explaining natural phenomena, and strategies for coping and changing environments". https://dx.doi.org /10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.11 Apparently therefore, promoting indigenous knowledge in teaching and learning in Nigerian educational system is fundamental to job creation, employability, self reliance and national development. As Agba and Ushie (2014 p 75) have rightly stated, "it is the knowledge that enables members of a given society to carry out their economic, social and industrial activities effectively" thereby contributing in job creation, employment and national development.

Education and Development of Creative Potential
As earlier established, there is a linkage between quality education, creative potential/skills development, resources utilization and national development or nation building. In the light of this, the National Teachers' Institute, Kaduna (2016)

Theoretical Framework
The framework of analysis for this study is the Human Capital Theory. This theory presupposes that education and training are investments that make people genuinely productive. "The first use of human capital as a term in modern economic literature was by Theodore Schultz who classified expenditures on human capital as investment rather than consumption" (Adiele and Ibietan, 2017 p. 8). Adam Smith, Gary Becker and Nobel Laureate are some of the advocates of this theory. The theory sees human capital as knowledge, skills, attitudes, aptitude and other traits that contribute to production (Goode in Fleischhaver, 2007 p. 4). This suggests that, the knowledge and skills acquired by the citizens through education and training is a form of capital which is a product of deliberate investment that yields return in the form of employment, job creation and income earnings which further culminate in self reliance and better standard of living.
Thus, when Nigerian government gives priority attention to education by not only formulating education policies but also, ensuring that the policies are efficiently and effectively implemented, by providing both the human, material and financial resources needed for skills and knowledge acquisition in institutions of learning, the creative potentials of Nigerian graduates will definitely be enhanced. This will not only guarantee employable graduates but also, a number of them will be able to create jobs by themselves for income earnings and self reliance. In this context therefore, human capital development should not be theoretical or a mere paper work but practical in a manner that teaching and learning in institutions of higher learning should be practical, activity based, experimental and ICT supported. Hence, the economic benefit of investing in education and training the individuals can be measured by the net gain in lifetime earnings accruing as a result of their investment in education and training. As Pahos and Galanaki, (2018) "remarked that job performance is an achievement that is both practical and measurable" (Imucheri and Kakub, https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.11 education and training is not only a good thing, but a means of securing higher economic growth and national prosperity (Wobmann, 2008).

Natural Resources in Nigeria and their Economic uses
As earlier established, Nigeria is a resource-rich country. It is the world's largest producer of columbite, a mineral containing iron, magnesium, and niobium. Other natural resources include limestone, gypsum, granite, copper, zinc, gold and petroleum resources (crude oil).
About 80 percent of Nigeria's land is suitable for farming and grazing. The variety of crops includes cocoa, cassava, yams, rice, maize, grandnut, millet, sorghum, plantains, amongst others. Goats are the leading livestock, followed by sheep and cattle. Despite these resources however, the mainstay of the economy since the 1970s has been petroleum (Fejokwu, 1996, Britannica, 2010. Akpan-Idiok, (2012) has identified some mineral resources and their uses in Nigeria with large reserves.
1. Tin: used for making cans, roofing sheets, petrol tanks, utensils and ornaments, tin foil as wrapping materials 2. Columbite: for manufacturing of heat resisting and chemical resisting steel in gas turbine and jet engine for aircraft.
3. Tantalite: because of its resistance to acid corrosion, it is used in chemical equipment, in surgery for skull plate, in tool steel. 4. Wolframite: for hardening metal in high speed tool steel, valves, springs, chisels, files. 5. Iron-ore: for production of iron and steel for mechanical, constructional, electrical industries; for ship building, making of rails, automobiles, aircrafts, bridges 6. Lead and Zinc: used for soldering, bearings, lead foils, ammunition and ornamental sting, plate for storing batteries, roofing, chemical and constructional industries, as a protective covering in galvanized structural steel products, zinc oxides in rubber industry, production of sulphuric Thorite 7. Gold: international standard for monetary system and medium of exchange in trade; valued as an ornament and jewelry, dental appliances. Quartz Africa (2016) has reported that "By some estimates Nigerian tertiary education institutions produce up to 500, 000 graduates every year and there are also Nigerian graduates who studied abroad who come home to compete for jobs" (Para. 1) The online tabloid also pointed out that "…employers have attributed the problem to the quality of unemployable as they lack required skills"; Stressing that Nigeria's university system is mostly overpopulated which results to a situation whereby universities struggle to deliver quality education as available facilities are over stretched. This implies that for effective teaching and learning to take place, the ratio of students per teacher is paramount.
Consequently, Olatomide and Adesola (2015) have rightly noted that: Currently Nigeria has a youth population of about 80 million which is about 60 percent of the population, more than 70 percent are said to be unemployed. They maintained that "The danger of unemployment and idleness are very prominent as majority of the youths are roaming about the streets in search of jobs in order to survive, where there is no job, some of the youth out of frustration take to vices like engaging in criminality and drug abuse.
Challenges which plague the Nigerian youth and acts as factor militating against the full realization of their potentials, includes: lack of access to education, high rate of unemployment, extreme poverty, political and economic marginalization, exposure to conflict and food insecurity.
Furthermore, a recent report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (2018) reveals that: the category of unemployed persons comprised 8.5 million people who engage in an https://dx.doi.org /10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.11 economic activity for at least an hour and 7.5 million people who did absolutely nothing. Also, 18.02 million people were underemployed, as they worked for 20 to 39 hours a week, which is less than the 40 hours required to be classified among the workforce. Fully employed persons, who worked for 40 hours and above in the third quarter of 2017, were 51.06 million people, resulting in a total of 77.6 million people engaged in an extent of economic activity (National Bureau of Statistics, 2018).
The Challenges of Creative Potential Development in Nigerian system of Education 1. Overdependence on paper qualification/certificate 2. Too much emphasis on theories and principles, rather than activity-based, practical and ICT supported method of teaching and learning; 3. Inadequate funding of the educational sector 4. Lack of technology/training equipment for processing of community based raw materials 5. Poor/lack of maintenance culture 6. Poor attitude to learning

Conclusion
No society can develop beyond the capacity of its human resources. Therefore, investment in training, skills acquisition and education must inform the perfection of work through better use of available resources and technology which ultimately, will enhance employability of school products, job creation, performance and productivity. The need for government to promote acquisition of indigenous knowledge and creative education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, as this will not only enhance job creation but will also boost the GDP of the nation as well as reduce the rate of unemployment, joblessness and criminality in the society. 2. Teaching and learning in school should be practical, activity-based, experimental and ICT supported, with little emphasis on theories and alien ideas or ideologies.