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Higher Education and African Development
Patrick Awuah 
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal ran a story about Patrick Awuah, a Ghanian who left his home country to study abroad, as many Africans do. He returned to Ghana 13 years later and started Ashesi University, which he hoped would fill a gap in higher education in Ghana as well as provide practical education and training to Ghanian students. The ultimate goal of this endeavor was to keep well-educated Ghanians in Ghana, rather than have them living, working, and bringing income into other countries. His example is inspiring to his fellow Ghanians and the world at large.
Awuah’s story is one of success; economic and political conditions became favorable enough in Ghana, and he got enough support from the Gates Foundation, that he was able to offer high quality, hands-on, low-cost education to Ghanian students. Almost all of these students have been placed in highly valuable in-country jobs. The only exceptions are the students who have elected to attend graduate school in other countries.
Challenges in Ghana
Unfortunately, not every country in Africa can boast similar success. Nigeria, for example, still struggles with government corruption, violence, and poverty, even though (or perhaps because) a booming oil trade has brought billions of dollars to the economy. That money is not being spent on infrastructure or education, so that any promising Nigerian who wants to get an education has to go out of country, and any businessperson who wants to draw income into Nigeria is inhibited by the excessive costs of building a personal or corporate infrastructure. I know of one Nigerian businessman who was educated in the US, started a multinational corporation in the US, and when he tried to return to Nigeria, was unable to sustain the cost of doing business. Some African countries, such as Nigeria, are suffering desperately from want of education and initiative, while their ex-patriot sons and daughters thrive in other countries—and draw income into those countries as well.
It all starts with education
Truly, education is the key. If promising students can stay in their own country to get their education and training, they can become leaders in a growing economy, because they’ll have the skills that people will pay for. They will have the technical edge to inspire production and distribution, perhaps lead their nation to a secure place in the international market. They can add this practical training to their knowledge of current conditions, attitudes and trends in their home countries. They will become leaders who understand that government corruption hurts everyone, and perhaps they will help the economy by rooting out faithless public servants.
It seems to be taking hold in Ghana, starting with just one good university founded by someone with skill, insight, and commitment. It could be that way in Nigeria, and many Nigerians, both inside and outside their country, are working to make it so. It’s amazing what power a good education can have, for individuals and nations alike.
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Author: KathyTeel
Kathy Teel is a freelance writer and editor, and a part time college professor. She lives in Missouri with her husband (another professor), their kids (a high schooler, middle schooler, and grade schooler), and three dogs. Check our her company's website at www.teelwriting.com.
2 Comments
The main problem is that the govts of these 3rd world countries honestly don’t give a crap about their people. They see power, and greed and gravy trains and ride it, instead of sharing it with the country. Here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, we have a very large contingent of Nigerians (It’s actually a joke that we require a Nigerian passport to get into Central, because that’s where they mostly live). The sad thing is that 90% of these Nigerians are drug dealers and pimps. And their girls? Young South Africans of all ethnicities, who they’ve hooked on cocaine. And when I say young, I mean some as young as 9!
It’s great that there are people like Patrick Awuah in the world, and there are people like him here, trying to do their best to better/save the lives of those who want to better themselves. But when you’re fighting a losing battle with the powers that be………*sigh*
I know that it’s hard not to be cynical. There will always be corruption, and it will always be the regular hard-working people and the poor who suffer for it. But even if you can’t fight a whole government (and the Egyptians seem to think you can right now), maybe the “better to light a candle than curse the darkness’ philosophy can do SOMETHING, for SOMEONE. Maybe it’s better than nothing.