THE PLIGHTS OF NIGERIAN GRADUATES

Graduates are category of people who have passed through either college, mono -tecnique, polytechnic or university known as higher institution. Put differently, they are set of people who have received higher education which make them part of skilled labour or skilled work force, and it emphatically portrays their usefulness in the society. Because of huge complexities and myriad of challenges defining the country, Nigerian graduates have been greatly affected, and are faced with serious numerous plights which are desperately beaconing for redress, so that the purpose of acquiring higher education will not be defeated; considering the prevailing situation of education in the country - low quality and standard - as a result of misplaced priority because it is not given adequate attention by relevant stakeholders in the country.

These plights will clearly be discussed in two parts, namely cultural expectations and social changes which involve predominant challenges or conditions, as well as highlighting the main mitigating factors for remedying the worrisome situation.

CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS 

This is mostly concerned with what the society accept and believe to be their way of life.In this context, what the society generally accept and believe (social norms) and what they  hold in high esteem (social values).Thhese include but not limited to the following:

1 Employment:

Nigeria's society believe that immediately one becomes a graduate, job should be ready speedily, specifically, white collar job. If it fails to happen that way, such graduate is regarded as a failure, forgetting that modern society is very complex and dynamic, and always in the state of flux. Notably, attention has been shifted from that colonial heritage (attitude towards employment), based on present prevailing circumstances, i.e. from 'white collar jobs' to 'other colored collar jobs', expressing a paradigm shift in the long standing and deeply rooted attitude or practice of gaining secretariat and salaried employment after graduation. This was a colonial roadmap to have highly skilled work force in the civil service in order to help further their colonial perpetuation. In light of the above, it should be well instituted and we'll publicized that white collar job is no longer fashionable. People no longer go to school in order to have paid employment. That old fashion attitude should be completely dismantled.

2 Rich And Wealthy Attitude:

Nigeria's society believe that the sole aim of going to higher institution is to come out and become rich and lives in affluence. Education or being a graduate does not make someone rich and wealthy - it is a misconception and erroneous belief which has been dominant and widespread for many decades in the country. In order to arrest this wrong belief, the country should design and implement an effective attitudinal re-orientation programme, to educate and create awareness, that will help disabuse the minds and belief system of Nigerians.Basically and traditionally, the main aim of gaining higher education is for solving social problems, and if properly or legitimately channeled, can fetch one riches and wealth.

3 Change In Social Status

Nigeria's society believe that gaining higher education elevates one's social status and fixes one in a highly esteemed class. People troop to higher institutions to become graduates, yet many are not educated, creating another layer of social problem which continues to haunt the country and stalls it's development process.

4 Family Expectations

Many are graduates because of family expectations such as pride, status and feud. Families who indulge in age long feud usually send their children to study courses such as law, in order to help them prosecute cases. In terms of pride and class of age-long rivalry. Many Families usually see such achievement as enviable feat and a wonderful reference point, to have members who are graduates from institution of higher learning (source of pride).

SOCIAL CHANGES

These are predominant and prevailing conditions common in the Nigerian society, as a result of it's dynamic nature, clearly expressing the fact that things have changed, since every society is always in the state of flux. Some of the highlighted aspects of change constituting plights for Nigerian graduates include:

1 Unemployment

Gone are the days jobs were hunting or chasing graduates, during and immediately after graduation. The reverse is the case now, as graduates are the ones seriously in stiff competition, hunting and chasing for few available jobs in the country. The unfortunate limited opportunities - resulting in unemployment - is a serious social manace currently facing Nigerian graduates and the Nigerian state. It can be addressed largely by the government, being the primary agent of social change.

2 Low Quality And Standard Education 

The intention of going to school is to acquire education and relevant skills from the trainings one will pass through. However, with low quality education, Nigerian graduates are not well trained and skilled, having serious negative effects on their employability, which most often leads to unemployment and under-employment. At the larger scale, it causes low national productivity and depletion in productive forces (PF) of Nigeria. Lack or inadequate skilled labour or man power is the product of low quality and standard education. This can create a situation of available employment opportunities, with graduates lacking eligibility requirements because the quality of education is incapable of producing highly trained and skilled graduates. This definitely contributes to the plights of Nigerian graduates.

3 Half-baked Graduates

Nowadays, too much emphasis on paper qualifications rather than competence, has largely contributed to Nigerian graduates being tagged as half-baked, incompetent and mediocres, because acquiring ideal education is no longer a top priority for most students. That is why the rate of examination malpractice is alarming in the country, because students go extra miles or out of the way, to acquire certificates which the cannot defend. The consequences of this phenomenon are grave and enormous, to the graduates who will be under-employed and the Nigerian state, in witnessing decrease and incompetence in national work force - the resultant effects are inadequate productive forces and low national productivity.

THE WAY FORWARD 

First and foremost, education across all levels should be prioritized, in terms of funding, curriculum design (being in tune with present realities) and effective monitoring, while adequate attention should be paid to quality and standard, to increase skills, competence and employability of graduates. More importantly, from all segments of the Nigerian society, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills should be advocated, promoted and advanced, for job creation and self employment. In view of the above, Nigerian educational system should be designed and tailored towards the advancement of this lofty idea, if the pursuit of sustainable development will see the light of day. And, this will definitely eradicate or alleviate the plights Nigerian graduates are facing.