An education expert and retired school teacher from Delta State, Mr. Rex New Year Joseph Aloba, has called on the Federal Government to abandon the Western model of education and fully embrace Nigeria’s indigenous philosophy of education as enshrined in the National Policy on Education (NPE).
Aloba, who hails from Oviri Olomu in Ughelli South Local Government Area, said the continued reliance on foreign education models is one of the major reasons Nigeria remains plagued by poverty, insecurity, and a growing sense of disconnection among its youth.
“It is time for Nigeria to abandon Western education,” Aloba declared. “It was imported from Britain and does not reflect our realities. We are still teaching foreign content that has nothing to do with solving our local problems. We need to return to our own educational philosophy.”
He argued that the NPE, first introduced in 1977, was designed to build an egalitarian and self-reliant nation through a people-centered curriculum. However, he said the country has since drifted away from that vision.
“The objectives have not been achieved,” he said. “That is why I stepped out, to remind the nation of the path we abandoned. Education was meant to build unity, improve citizenship, and develop individuals into effective contributors to national growth. Instead, we are producing graduates who lack direction and purpose.”
Aloba cited increasing student disinterest in current school programmes as further evidence of failure. “Most of our learners are no longer interested in Western education,” he noted. “That’s a warning sign. It means the system is no longer relevant. We’re forcing our children into a model that doesn’t inspire them, doesn’t reflect their environment, and doesn’t offer real solutions.”
As a solution, Aloba is advocating for the introduction of the book The Science of Getting Rich into the Nigerian curriculum. According to him, the book offers a path to economic transformation and societal peace.
“This book has the key to prosperity,” he said. “If everyone is rich, there will be no more kidnapping, no more crime. The root of all these problems is poverty.”
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He also referenced a concept from the book called Savoires (13)s, which he claimed has the ability to “multiply anything you put on it,” comparing it to the biblical miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes.
“We’ve been living in another man’s house for too long,” Aloba said. “It’s time we build our own. Western education has failed us. We must return to a system that is practical, moral, and rooted in our culture.”
He urged the Federal Ministry of Education to fully implement the goals outlined in the National Policy on Education, which recognizes education as the most powerful instrument for change and national development. These include national unity, moral values, respect for individual dignity, and the promotion of skills for self-reliance.
“I beg the nation to adopt this book and realign our education with our own philosophy,” he said. “The Western model cannot take us to where we want to be. But the Nigerian philosophy of education, when properly applied, can solve our social, economic, and spiritual problems.”
Aloba stated, “I’ve been on this journey since 1977. It’s time for Nigeria to own its future through its own education.”