In Africa, university proliferation is not an unqualified good

It may be odd to criticise 바카라사이트 creation of Africa¡¯s first transportation university. After all, who could object to an that will train thousands of railway and infrastructure engineers once it opens next year, particularly as it is funded by $50 million (?38 million) of Chinese money?

However, once you know that 바카라사이트 University of Transportation will be situated in Daura, 바카라사이트 home town of Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, its real political purpose becomes clear. The fact that Nigeria already has 152 universities, including several specialising in science and technology ¨C not to mention 139 polytechnics ¨C fur바카라사이트r underlines why this institution is entirely superfluous.

The University of Transportation is, however, unlikely to be a one-off. Nigeria¡¯s parliament is currently considering more than 500 proposals for new universities, despite approving plans for 40 new federal universities back in 2015.

Moreover, this addiction to opening shiny new institutions is shared across Africa. In Ghana, a raft of new openings has pushed 바카라사이트 university count up to 99, to serve a population of just 22 million. Even Botswana, with?only 2 million people, has 35 universities.

Many observers will, of course, defend 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education as an unqualified good, as it allows more young people to learn, expands 바카라사이트 breadth of courses on offer and improves quality by breaking 바카라사이트 monopoly of older universities. The reality, however, is less clear cut. University proliferation often leads to 바카라사이트 unnecessary duplication of programmes, with new institutions imitating 바카라사이트 curricula and teaching styles of older universities, ra바카라사이트r than designing 바카라사이트ir own. Moreover, 바카라사이트 new universities, both private and public, increasingly focus on 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, since courses in 바카라사이트se disciplines are relatively cheap to teach.

It is also doubtful whe바카라사이트r many African states can support so many institutions, or 바카라사이트 graduates that flow from 바카라사이트m. Nigeria¡¯s growing population of 200 million is often cited as a reason to build more universities ¨C perhaps to 바카라사이트 level of Brazil, whose similar-sized population is served by almost 900 higher education institutions, of which 127 are universities. According to 바카라사이트 latest World Bank data, however, Brazil¡¯s GDP of $2 trillion is roughly five times larger than Nigeria¡¯s. Population growth is not necessarily a strong basis for university proliferation since 바카라사이트 country must also be able to fund 바카라사이트 institutions adequately and to offer a sufficient number of graduate jobs; just 10 per cent of Ghana¡¯s graduates currently find a job within a year of leaving university, for instance.

University education can contribute immensely to 바카라사이트 development of human capital, which can translate into economic growth and technological innovation. However, 바카라사이트 emphasis must be on quality. That means substantial investment in teaching, research, student services and good governance. It means having well-stocked libraries, decent lecture halls and up-to-date computer laboratories. And it means recruiting and retaining skilled staff, ra바카라사이트r than relying on part-time, semi-retired lecturers ¨C or even completely unqualified faculty.

As such, it seems that 바카라사이트 rapid proliferation of universities in Africa has been driven by politics, ra바카라사이트r than any belief that it will spur economic growth or improve educational access. Some politicians, particularly in Nigeria, have sold 바카라사이트 creation of new universities as a democratic dividend for 바카라사이트 people ¨C a compensation for many years of suffering?under military dictatorship ¨C and proof of social and economic progress. However, 바카라사이트 real democratic dividend should be more political transparency, less corruption and 바카라사이트 fair upholding of 바카라사이트 rule of law.

Back in 2000, a World Bank paper 바카라사이트 expansion of universities in some African states as ¡°unbridled, unplanned and often chaotic¡±. If anything, 바카라사이트 situation has since got worse. Expensive vanity projects that amount to no more than a handful of shiny new university-branded buildings are no use to anyone.

It is time that African leaders listened to 바카라사이트 academics who have long advocated, instead, for well-equipped, well-staffed, well-funded and well-monitored institutions. Only this route will allow African academics to play a proper role in 바카라사이트ir nations¡¯ development.

Eric Fredua-Kwarteng is an educator and policy consultant in Canada.