BY BRIGHT JACOB
Stakeholders in the education sector have bemoaned the craze for sponsorship of reality television shows and other showbiz events by corporate organisations, over educational programmes and extracurricular activities that promote mental development and overall well-being of students in Nigerian schools.
According to them, this practice by some corporate organisations has continued to fuel the notion that students, and the society at large, are exploited because of the prevalence of moral decadence, which fallibly contrives, especially in young persons, the innuendo about finding fame and fortune with minimal effort.
The drive for profit was also listed as a factor some organisations use for luring the viewing public to subscribe to the reality shows, which in turn puts more money into their coffers, but in the long-term overrides the objective to make the funding of the education sector a priority, a situation that is a cause for concern.
In perspective, it is on record that many organisations have announced mouthwatering cash prizes running into millions of naira as rewards for contestants who took part in their shows.
Ironically, paltry sums have been observed to be ‘consolation’ prizes for students who excelled in the sciences, arts and commercial subjects or those who won mathematics, literary or essay competitions.
Though there was a series of uproar and backlash that greeted such developments, the practice has persisted and would likely continue to provoke the ire of stakeholders.
An author, Reginald Anene, told The Point that it was because “vanity sells,” and our value systems had changed, organisations could relegate sponsorship of education to the background for trivial things.
He said society no longer holds the different professions in high esteem but fetes those who have money to ‘throw’ around.
Why multinationals and other corporate organisations were sprinting towards reality shows and showbiz, he said, “It’s so simple….vanity sells.
Inanities sell. That’s just the simple answer….vanity sells, and two, our value systems have changed.
“Before, our most respected people were usually teachers, lawyers, doctors and the like, but now, ‘show-me-the-money’ is it. Anything that has to do with controversy, gossip, fame and fortune, those are the things that sell,” he said.
Asked whether there was anything the government could do in the form of legislation to address the situation, since the uproar for the ban of some of the shows fell on deaf ears, Anene said, “First of all, there is no way the government can legislate anything. The only thing the government can do is to lead by example, and that is to place a premium on education.
He said, “Although I know to some extent that the government is trying because scholarships are awarded to intelligent students, to bright students, and you have some corporate organisations that also sponsor students who are intelligent, maybe to their second degree, Masters and PhD.
“But the crux still lies with the families. Until families begin to value these things, it’s not going to change,” he added.
Anene deplored instances when children from supposedly Christian homes participated in reality shows and became “the example that parents point to for other children.”
He said he agreed it was true that ‘everybody’ wants to be famous, but society must pay close attention to how fame is achieved.
In his view, achieving fame shouldn’t be what could be obtained “without breaking any sweat.”
“There’s this book I’m actually thinking of writing, ‘What Everybody Wants’. There’s really nobody who doesn’t want to be famous.
“Now, it depends on how you want to achieve that fame. If you look at it, in one of the reality shows, the contestants did nothing. All they did was go into a confined space, strut their stuff and they became famous overnight, hardly breaking any sweat. For them, it’s the easiest route (to fame),” he explained.
He said, “Every young person wants to be either a Davido or Wizkid or Tacha. Even our children at home who are being brought up in the way of the Lord, when you go through their phones, you’ll be amazed at the kind of videos and other things you find there.
“It shows that human inclination to want to be famous, and want to have money, and everybody wants to achieve it (through) the easiest route,” he added.
Anene lamented that corporate organisations were aware of the situation but exploited the same to make young persons glued to the shows from their stable.
He disclosed that organisers of the shows employ psychologists who ensure t hat “everything in those shows is tailored to appeal to the basest instincts in human beings,” and avowed advertising practitioners don’t help matters, either.
“They employ psychologists, they know what to do, how to put up the settings. They know the innuendoes, and that’s why you shouldn’t be amazed at the kind of millions of people who want to stay awake to watch them.
“If you go to the advertising world, they tell you that ‘sex sells’, and sometimes there’s soft porn, and you will be amazed at how many people are addicted to things like that,” he said.
“Before, our most respected people were usually teachers, lawyers, doctors and the like, but now, ‘show-me-the-money’ is it. Anything that has to do with controversy, gossip, fame and fortune, those are the things that sell”
Reacting to the deplorable state of infrastructure in most public schools and how it affects the potential and development of students, Anene told our correspondent, “There’s a book I wrote some years ago. It’s titled ‘anybody can have A’s’, and in that book I did highlight the factors responsible for anyone achieving academic excellence.
“You have the genetic factor, environmental factor, nutritional factor. Every single one of these aspects contributes a certain percentage to your children’s intelligence and how well they excel, but the one that trumps them the most is ‘you’, your self-motivation, your ability to motivate yourself to know what you want in life.
Speaking further, he said the environment wasn’t encouraging, and people had said education was a scam. He made reference to American business magnate, investor and philanthropist, Warren Buffet, who showed gratitude for being born in the United States of America, which provided the enabling environment for his success.
Comparing students’ success to the deplorable educational infrastructure, Anene concurred that “having things in place” was vital and would allow students to achieve so much with minimum effort.
“With the present situation (deplored infrastructure), we are not going to have the number of academically excellent students that we are supposed to have.
“So, if you ever see any child or anyone who excels academically, know that this person is just self-motivated. That is just the reality,” he submitted.
The General Secretary of the National Association of Parents Teachers, Ibrahim Ya’u Nabayi, who also spoke to The Point said that multinationals and corporate organisations who sponsor reality shows were more interested in making profits.
He mentioned the Corporate Social Responsibility of the organisations and Education Tax Fund, which, he stated, were non-existent.
He also insisted that the organisations were in a better position to disclose the reason they don’t have the development of students at heart.
“I think on a personal view that they’re more interested in making profits, because when you look at it, anybody that subscribes to watch, his money is going there.
“They (organisations) are making profits from it. But education is relegated to the background, and for that I don’t know where we are going in this country.
“The Corporate Social Responsibility and the tax issue that has to go to the Education Tax Fund, I don’t know what is happening.
“And these organisations are in better positions to tell us why they don’t have the development of education at heart. I am not in the business industry,” he stated.
On what could be done to compel the organisations to focus their resources more on education, Nabayi said he was persuaded that society lacked awareness. He claimed that a lot of people don’t follow up and engage the multinationals to remind them of their CSR.
Because of this lack of awareness, Nabayi said it was up to a government agency like the National Orientation Agency, to “do the publicity’ so that “Nigerians can be aware there’s something called CSR by companies in the communities where they’re sighted.”
He agreed there should be legislation to tackle companies who default, and which (legislation) must be enforced by someone.
He however gave kudos to Dangote Industries Limited for carving a niche for itself in the area of CSR.
His words: “I am not marketing, but look at what Dangote is doing, especially the Covid-19 response.
“You can see the quantum of investment they assisted us with as citizens: ambulances, essential materials. And I learnt they’re doing something in education as well, creating hostels in some of the tertiary institutions,” he said.
He maintained that a lot could be achieved if other organisations pool their resources to “salvage the problems we have in basic education.”
