It is often the case that the category of employment open to an applicant is dependent on the kind of certificate fielded by the prospective employee. The employment market generally values certificates according to their educational level. This then gives the impression that a certificate can be equated with education. But, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, on Tuesday 17 February 2009 at the 7.00 p.m. full news package on BCOS television, a man was paraded in a lawyer’s robe, charged for certificate forgery and impersonation. He claimed to be a lawyer and a pastor. In his possession were found two LLB degree certificates—one from our University of Ibadan and the other from Obafemi Awolowo University. That a certificate cannot be logically equated with education becomes evident from this example. Moreover, while I cannot be said to be educated if my certificate is forged, a loss of (as can unfortunately happen) my certificate does not mean a loss of education. Education is also often interpreted as literacy. To the man in the street in Yorubaland, the educated man is “alakowe” (the one who is adept at writing) while the learner is “onkawe” (the one whose occupation is reading). Without doubt, literacy is a significant portal to the lifetransforming experience of education. Like schooling, literacy is also a ready index of national development. Development experts use a country’s literacy level as an indicator of national well-being over a given period of time. For example, the All-Africa Global Media report for 2008 read as follows: According to UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008, Nigeria still rates very low in human development assessment. The report states that 69.1 percent adult Nigerians are illiterate… . The theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Literacy is the best remedy’ is a call on the various levels of government to recognize the key
7