The Role of the Commissions in the Development of Education in Nigeria

Asquith Commission

The Asquith commission was up set in August 1943 to:

•  look into the principles that guide the promotion of higher education, learning and research as well as the development of universities in the British Colonies; 
•  explore possible means through which universities and other agents in the United Kingdom can assist the institutions of higher education in the colonies to achieve the principles above. 

 Recommendations

The following recommendations were submitted by the commission: 

1.  Universities should be established in the areas as soon as possible, starting with university colleges; 
2. Training of teachers should be giving the highest priority; 
3. Facilities should be provided for the teaching of arts and science teachers to control the problem of lack of teachers in the grammar schools; 
4.  Research should be a very important aspect of university life; 
5.  Colonial universities should be autonomous like those in the United Kingdom; 
6. Colonial universities should be assisted by London University so as to be awarded degrees of the university; 
7. A colonial Grants Advisory Committee should be created; 
8. Universities should be residential and open to both sexes and all classes (Osokoya, 1989). 

Exercise 4:

• Examine the recommendations of Asquith Commission. 

The Elliot Commission

The Elliot Commission was set up in June 1943 by the Secretary of State to report on higher education in British West Africa. The thirteen member commission was charged with the responsibility of:

• looking into the alleged lukewarm attitude of the colonial government towards establishing higher education; 
• verifying the fact in the alleged lack of opportunity for Africans to participate in the development of their country. 

The commission was asked to look into the organisation and facilities of existing centres of higher education in British West Africa and make recommendations for future university development.

Report of the Commission

The Elliot Commission unanimously and strongly agreed on the need for higher education in the area but was divided on:

1.  the number of University Colleges; 
2. where the university colleges would be sited. 

On the basis of the above, the reports were sent in two different volumes: the majority report and the minority report. The majority report recommended three university colleges: one to be sited in Nigeria for the faculties of Arts, Science and Professional schools of medicine, agriculture,
 forestry, animal health and teacher education; another to be sited in the Gold Coast for faculties of arts, sciences and an institute of education; and the third to be sited in Sierra-Leone for courses in arts and Science up to the intermediate level and teacher training courses.

The minority report recommended the immediate establishment of one institution of the status of a university for all British West Africa to be sited at Ibadan. The modification of the above led to the establishment of the University College, Ibadan in 1948.

Exercise 5:

Comment on the two different reports of the Elliot Commission.

The University College Ibadan

The University College started in Ibadan on 18th January 1948 with 104 students (all residential), under the Principal designate Dr. Kenneth Mellanby. The college was criticised on the basis that:

•  It did not offer higher degrees; 
• It served the purpose of a University college and not a full autonomous University needed by the people; 
• It was not truly African in scope, nature and curriculum; 
• Too few Africans were recruited to work in the institution. For instance up to 1953, only six (6) Africans were employed as against (81) expatriates employed by the University authority; 
• The college placed very high premium on entrance examination condition; 
• Its curriculum was closely modelled after that of the University of London. Based on all these and other problems. The Ashby commission was set up. 

Exercise 6:

Comment on the limitations of the University College Ibadan.

 Ashby Commission (April 1959-September 1960)

The Ashby commission was the first Nigeria Commission set up on Higher Education in 1959 to investigate and recommend to the government, among others, on the needs for higher education in Nigeria. The Nine-man commission was composed of three members each from Nigeria, Britain and America.

The commission's report was so comprehensive that it embraced the secondary, technical, commercial, veterinary and higher education needs of Nigeria. It also projected the manpower needs of the country up to the 1980's and worked out effective strategies for realising such through the various levels of our education.

The major findings of the commission included:

•  Lack of continuity from primary to secondary schools. It stated that students were not well prepared for higher education, stating that three-quarters of the teachers were uncertificated; 
• That there were high drop-out rates leading to shortage of teachers; 
• That secondary education was too literal; 
•  That few students were attracted to agriculture and technology; 
• That there was educational imbalance between the North and the South. 

The findings and the recommendations of the commission assisted, to a great extent, the establishment of more universities in the country. For instance, in 1962, the number of universities in Nigeria rose from one in 1948 to five. These universities are:

•  University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 1948; 
• University of Nigeria Nsukka, 1960; 
• University of Ife, Ile Ife, 1962; 
• Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, 1962, and 
• University of Lagos,Lagos, 1962. 

These Universities were planned to take care of the lapses created in the early years of the University of Ibadan. They were established as full autonomous Nigerian universities aimed at raising the required manpower to take their respective places in the country.

CONCLUSION

The journey of Higher education in Nigeria was very rough. Even when it came; due to pressure on the colonial government by the nationalists and the media, it was very slow. It began with a college (Yaba Higher College) awarding only certificates and lower diplomas, then to University College and finally to full university.