CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of the Study
The Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) originates from Millennium Declaration produced by the United Nations. The Declaration asserts that every individual has the right to dignity, freedom, equality, a basic standard of living that includes freedom from hunger and violence, encourages tolerance and solidarity (Deneulin, Séverine and Shahani, 2009). The MDGs were made to operationalize these ideas by setting targets and educational strategies in order to achieve the rights set forth in the Declaration on a set fifteen – year timeline.
According to Nwankwo (2002), the Millennium Summit Declaration was, however, only parts of the origins of the MDGs. It came about from not just the United Nation but also the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The setting came about through a series of UN – led conferences in the 1990s focusing on issues such as children, nutrition, education, human rights and others. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) criticized major donors for reducing their levels of Official Development Assistance (ODA). With the onset of the UN’s 50th anniversary, then UN secretary general Kofi Anam saw the need to address the range of development issues. This led to his report titled, we the people: The role of the United Nations in the 21st century which led to the Millennium Declaration. By this time, the OECD had already formed its International Development Goals (IDGs) and it was combined with the UN’s efforts and the World Bank’s 2001 meeting to form the MDGs (Hulme and Scott, 2010).
However, the Millennium Development Goals is one of the global efforts towards enhancing the living standard of man. The aim is to improve the social and economic conditions in the world’s poorest countries through reduction of extreme poverty and hunger, child mortality rates, achieving universal primary education, improvement of maternal health, ensuring environmental sustainability, combating HIV-AIDs, malaria and other diseases, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, besides developing a global partnership for development. This study focuses on educational development as a means towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria.
1.1 Statement of the Problems
Despite all the numerous efforts made by the government of Nigeria towards educational development, the educational sector is besieged by infrastructural decay, dilapidation of structures and production/graduation of illiterate graduate. The monumental increase in the level of illiteracy has made the socio-economic landscape fail and fragile. Today, Nigeria is ranked among the countries with the highest population of illiteracy in the whole world. The failure to efficiently combat the problem has largely been blamed on infrastructural decay, endemic corruption and poor governance.
As a result of these, the study x-rays educational challenges being faced in Nigeria, particularly Anambra State with respect to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
1.3 Research Questions
The following research questions were considered appropriate to guide the study:
i. To what extent has Primary school enrolment, completion and literacy rates been impacted with the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria?
ii. How has MDGs funding impacted the realization of Universal Primary Education in Nigeria?
iii. What are the strategies in place to achieve Universal Primary Education in Nigeria?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The major objective of this study was to assess educational development as a means towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. The specific objectives of this study are:
i. To examine the extent to which Primary school enrolment, completion and literacy rates have been impacted with the pursuit of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria.
ii. To find out how MDGs funding has impacted the realization of Universal Primary Education in Nigeria.
iii. To find out the strategies in place to achieve Universal Primary Education in Nigeria.
1.5 Hypotheses
H1: The pursuit of Millennium Development Goals has not sufficiently impacted Primary school enrolment, completion and literacy rates in Nigeria. H2: Appropriation of MDGs Funds is not associated to the actual release of funds in Nigeria.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is of great importance because it has brought to the fore the reality of the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goal 2, providing information which reveals the gap between the Goal intention and the success achieved so far, ultimately serving as the platform for predicting the possible outcome of the goal.
We have filled the information gap on primary school enrolment, completion and literacy rates showing what the rates are and the factors that influences the rates. We have also demonstrated the great advantage the strategy of partnership affords in terms of shared costs, risks and benefits in just little time prescribing it therefore as a strategy that can be adopted anywhere for undertaking governmental programs and projects. We have also provided a premise upon which future studies will be built.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study on the educational development as a means towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. The study which is the achievement of Universal Primary Education focuses attention on the three core areas of enrolment, completion and literacy.
The period of coverage of the study was from the year 2000 to 2013. The rationale for this time frame was that the year 2000 was the year of inception of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria and 2013 is the last year ended.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
In undertaking the study, certain challenges were encountered. First there was unavailable data on primary school enrolment, and completion and literacy rate, for the year 2013. The availability of these data would have helped to further our analysis of the impact of the MDG 2 on primary school attendance improvement. To overcome this challenge, we adopted an analytical tool that enabled us predict future outcomes, based on available data.
Secondly, we were unable to administer questionnaires, largely due to the nature of the research. That is, the research could best be made using data that are not opinion based, hence avoiding bias. Consequently, we used data that covers longer periods of time, which helped us to see the level of consistency of the impact of the MDG 2.
These limitations therefore do not affect the validity of this research.
1.9 Operational Definition of Terms
i. Education-Related Millennium Development Goal: Millennium Development Goal 2 which is, to achieve universal primary education.
ii. Enrolment rate: The Percentage of pupils properly registered and/or attending classes at a school measured against total school age children.
iii. Completion rate: The Percentage of Pupils completing the last year of primary school in a given year divided by the total number of children of official graduation age in the population.
iv. Literacy Rate: The Percentage of the population age 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write The Percentage of the population age 15 and above who can make simple arithmetic calculation
v. Access: The opportunity or right to undertake primary education by children of primary school age
vi. Matching Grants: Funds supplied in an amount matching the funds available from other sources