The Beginnig Of Education In Nigeria

Over the past centuries, education has been a means of transmitting our culture from one generation to another, it has been a medium through which newborns acquire a sense of belonging in a particular culture, it is the process of bringing about a relatively permanent change in human behavior.

Indigenous education is the ability of a newborn to know the norms of the society which he was born into and the willingness to acquire such norms as away of life.

As the oldest industry, it the instrument used by society to preserve, maintain and upgrade its social equilibrium. A society’s future depends largely on the quality of its citizen’s education.

Education has been view to extent to which an individual can stretch his intellectual by learning the culture of his society.

In all human societies, education is meant to pass on to the new generation the existing knowledge of their physical environment, to introduce individuals to the organization of the society, given them skills for performing their daily jobs and enjoying their leisure, as well as inculcate sound morals in them for their own benefit and that of the society.

In other words, education is a process by which the society assists the younger generation to understand the heritage of their past, participate productively in the society of the present as well as contributing to the future. Based on these reasons, education draws inspiration and nourishment from a society, but in turn contributes to the growth, renewal an d development of the society at large.

Sometimes, rather informal, society has ways of assisting the younger generation to understand the past and often exposing various values, ideals and aspirations of the society. They may be either formal/western or informal/ traditional/indigenous.

Nigeria education labeled traditional was progressive because of its emphasis on functionalism. For example, it was the duty of a girl in the family of Nigeria society to know the household chores, to learn a trade and pass it on to her children and grandchildren.

Till date, the purpose of education can be done without large emphasis on the tradition the impact and functions it had on the society.

Back then, the purpose of education was clear as the broad day light, every individual understand the reason behind learning, it was the preparation for adulthood, to be trained and train, a transit movement, a continuous process that has no end.

Traditional education at the early stage dwelled on social responsibilities, job orientation, and political participation, spiritual and moral values.

Then, there was practical training like farming, sewing, weaving, dancing, singing, wrestling carving, cooking, knitting and drumming why intellectual training involve, the study of local story, legends and last the environmental training which included riddles, poetry, proverbs, story-telling. At the end of the training, the children got tested in a ‘passing out’ ceremony to establish who was ready to move on to adulthood and who could be left behind.

 Those who excelled in these areas were highly revered as their expertise was of immense benefits to their society. an individual’s intellect in these directions was developed to enable him fit into such professional groups as rain makers, herbalists, hunters, cult leaders and priests.

The essence and purpose of education was to prepare and equip children with the required knowledge. Skills, mode of behavior and beliefs in playing their role in adulthood; to inculcate a sense of belonging, to discipline the child in molding his character, to inculcate in him, the desirable moral qualities such as sociability, solidarity, courage, humility, as well as obedience. Islamic education started in Nigeria before the introduction of western education.   

It was noted that Islam was first accepted by a kanem ruler named Umme Jilmi (1085-1097) later Dunama 1 and Dunama 11 in the 13^th century. In the early 14^th century, Islam came to Hausa land through traders and scholars from Wangarawa.

The Jihad of Usman Danfodio in 1804 helped to revive, spread and consolidate Islam studies and extended sccess to education also to women. Support for Islam education came from some leaders. For example, Abdullahi Bayero  (Emir of Kano) who built an Islamic school which continued to grow and expanded in scoope and eventually became Batero College, Kano and later became Bayero university Kano.

Islam brought with it Arabic education and was therefore perceived as having great spiritual values. The first known Muslim primary school was established by the colonial government in Lagos in 1899, the first one the Muslim established themselves was in 1922.

Many institutions have sprung up over the years in many parts of the country for the purpose of Islamic education and practices. However, the limitation of this education is the focus on Arabic which in many parts of Nigeria is not the language of literature and communication.

Hence, this gave birth to the emergence of European education which was introduced into Nigeria in 1571. the catholic through the influence of the Portuguese traders were the first missionaries to set foot on the Nigeria soil, they established a seminary on the island of Sao Tome, off the coast of Nigeria to train Africans for church work as priest and teachers. From Sao Tome, they visited Warri where they established schools and preached the gospel.

In September 1842, the second missionary which brought the western education started in Nigeria with the arrival of Thomas Birch Freeman, of the Methodist missionary society and Mr. and Mrs. De Graft of the church missionary society. the first known school was established by Mr. and Mrs. De Graft in Badagry and was named Nursery of the infant church.

While the Methodist should be credited with the creation of the first ‘school’ in Nigeria, it was indeed the church missionary society (cms) that made the most important contribution to the education in the early period.

In January 1845, a formidable team of evangelists arrived Badagry with Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Ajayi Crowther (Egba ex-slave), and Mrs. Townsend, the reverend and Mrs. Gollmer, Messrs Williams Marsh Edward Phillips (who were teachers by profession), four carpenters, three laborers, two servants and one interpreter.

 They stayed in Badagry for 18 months due to unforeseen circumstance and departed for Abeokuta, leaving two others in Badagry. During their stay in Badagry, the CMS party formed a mission station and two schools.

In 1846, a group led by Reverend Hope Masterton Waddell was dispatched to Calabar, the CMS also extended their missions to other parts of the country, Samuel Ajayi Crowther opened the first school in Onitsha in December 1858, for girls between six and 10 years old.

The American Baptist missionary arrived in August 1850 in Badagry led by Thomas J.Bowen and established their first station in Ijaye, Abeokuta and later established another station in ogbomoso in 1854.

In 1854, another group with an American negro from Liberia, J.M Harden joined the Baptist group and formed a Baptist mission in Lagos and later extended its influence to Oyo, Shaki, Igboho and Ilorin.

The catholic also gained ground in the spiritual scramble for Nigeria and established the home mission in Lagos in 1868 by Brazilian ex-slave.

The initial objective of the missionary bodies to Nigeria was to carry out evangelical work that is, preaching the gospel to the natives. Remarkable efforts were made by the various missionary bodies in building churches and schools which were all used for the purpose of evangelism. The basic content of instruction in schools was reading and writing which were necessary for the understanding of the gospel.

Colonial education aimed at creating a small class of skilled technical and administration functional and agricultural raw materials plantation farmers, possibly perpetuating the continued domination of the society by the offspring of members of the overthrown ruling autocracy. The emphasis of the western education was on the 4Rs (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and religion) this new education prepared the recipients for the job opportunities as teachers, church evangelists, clerks and interpreters.

Prior to Nigeria independence, Nigeria had only two established post-secondary institution. Yaba Higher College (founded in 1934, Now Yaba College of technology) and the university of Ibadan, founded in 1948. It was then a college of university of London until two years after independence when it becomes autonomous. More prominent universities include university of Nigeria Nsukka, Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly university of ife), Ahmadu Bello university and Moshood Abiola Kashimawo university (formerly university of Lagos) were founded in the tears that followed independence.

In 1970s, more universities were founded which include university of Benin, founded in 1970), and new universities opened in calabar, Ilorin, Jos, Port Harcourt, Sokoto and Maiduguri. In the 1980s, more universities were opened as well as institutes specializing in agriculture and technology. A number of polytechnics were also opened, which includes the Yaba college of Technology in Lagos and Kaduna Polytechnic.