My first Magazine EDUCARE MAGAZINE SPECIAL NOVEMBER EDITION 2019 | Page 19

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CHANGING THE NARRATIVE OF
OYO STATE EDUCATION SECTOR
Internationalization Of Higher
Education In Africa:
Emerging Trends And Realities
Highlights some of the measures put in place by Governor
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to address the declining
standard of education in the state
By JAMES OTIENO JOWI
I
nternationalization Of
HigherInternationalization has
become one of the key drivers of
change in higher education the
wo r l d ove r. I t p r e s e n t s
unprecedented opportunities and
challenges to higher education systems.
For Africa, in addition to these, it even
presents risks, especially due to Africa's
peculiar contextual realities. One of the
opportunities is that internationalization
could present to Africa's higher education
is the strengthening of the knowledge
generation and research capacities of
African universities. African universities
contribute only a paltry 1% of global
knowledge due to their weak research and
knowledge-generation capacities. One of
the formidable responses to this has been
through transnational partnerships
Educare November 2019
Africa's
internationalization
policies and strategies
should, therefore,
emphasise these
collaborations to
improve the research
agenda in local
universities.
focused on research. African institutions
and governments need to foster
partnerships for research. In recent years,
there has been growing interest in
research partnerships with Africa not only
from the traditional partners in the north
but also by new entrants such as China,
Brazil and India.
Collaboration in research is Africa's
main rationale for internationalization.
Africa's internationalization policies and
strategies should, therefore, emphasise
these collaborations to improve the
research agenda in local universities. Such
institutional strengthening would create
strong infrastructure to support and
sustain knowledge production (Jowi,
2010). Research and innovation is a
frontier for international academic
exchang es, par tnerships and
engagements. In addition to low
investment in research, Africa has the
lowest ratio of researchers per million
i n h a b i t a n t s i n t h e wo r l d . N e w
developments, including transformations
through information communication
technologies (ICT), can be utilized to
F
o r s o m e y e a r s n o w,
stakeholders in the Oyo State
e d u c a t i o n s e c t o r h a ve
continued to lament the free
fall of the system such that the state has
become a laughing stock among states
not only in the South- west Region, but
the country as a whole. THISDAY
checks revealed that the state was the
26th in the last West African
Examinations Council (WAEC)
examinations.
However a new sheriff may have
come into the state to turn things
around and ensure that it takes its
rightful position among the states. Since
his assumption of office on May 29,
2019, the body language of Governor
Seyi Makinde has shown that he is
determined to do more than what his
predecessors did in the education sector
in the pace setter state.
For someone who had passed
through the tough phase of poverty
while attending schools, one of the
policy statements he made in his
inauguration speech was the abolition
of the N3,000 per year paid by students
in public schools in the state. From that
day, the governor has not turned back
to issue policies to fix the education
sector.
Recently, it was the kick-off of free
distribution of customised textbooks
and exercise books to students.
Speaking at the event held at the Bishop
Philip Academy, Ibadan (his alma
mater), Makinde said his administration
would take education to a greater height
and do everything humanly possible to
restore the glory of free education in
the state. He added that his vision of the
education sector in the first year of his
administration is to move the state from
the present 26th position in WAEC
examinations to at least 16th position
among 36 states, charging all
stakeholders to support the
government in its bid to reposition the
state education sector.
"We are determined to fix the
education sector because I know for a
fact that I am in this position that God
has destined me to be because of the
education that I received here. My time
here laid the foundation for my future,
so it is the same for the students here
today and I pray that all of you will get
to your destinations and you will fulfil
your potential."
Educare November 2019