By OLADEPO John Oluwasegun, 400 Level Student, Department of History
Students from various social science departments at Ahmadu Bello University gathered on Friday for an intra-faculty debate organised by the National Association of Social Sciences Students (NASSS).
The event, which held at the packed Lecture Theatre 1 of the Faculty of Social Sciences, was a grand showcase of academic rigor and reasoned discussion on major issues in higher education, featuring debates on two topics - the efficiency of student loan schemes as a means of increasing access to higher education, and skills or degrees, which is more vital in the workspace.
The event, anchored by Fauziyya Suleiman and Isiaq Habeeb, featured teams of 3 students each from the Department of International Studies, Mass Communication, Political Science, and Sociology squaring off on vital topics. Judges included Dr. Umar Salisu (Economics), Malam Sani Garba (Sociology), and Dr. Akin (Political Science). The Head of the Political Science Department also attended the event alongside other distinguished guests.
The NASSS President, Umar J Umar, welcomed attendees and promised an interesting and engaging battle of wits on questions of access to higher education and the relative weight of skills versus degree.
Students from the Department of International Studies, including Muhammad Sani Aminu (400 Level), Ma'aruf Rufai Adamu (200 Level), and Thomas Ayindanubasa Ruben (200 Level) argued in support. Students from the Department of Mass Communication, including Abhulimen Jonathan (400 Level), Bello Dámilọ́lá Rofiat (300 Level) and Ibrahim (200 Level), presented the counterargument.
The International Studies students argued that the student loan scheme would help provide access to education for the poor, encourage responsibility among students, and promote equality in access to education. Although, obtaining a loan entails a rigorous process, they stated that nothing comes easy and further argued that the scheme would also encourage girl child education and gender equality. They cited successful examples from countries like Singapore, USA, Canada, and UK.
The Students of Mass Communication who argued against the notion, argued that it would be better to increase funding for universities rather than provide student loans, which do not guarantee access to education but rather, just a means to attend university under restrictive conditions. Many young graduates risk going to jail according to the Act if unable to repay the loans 2 years after NYSC completion. While good in theory, a student loan system is not practical given Nigeria’s economic conditions and lack of employment guarantees after graduation—unlike in countries like the USA.
The second discussion was between Political Science and Sociology students, debating the topic “Degree not Skill: Skill acquisition should be prioritized over academic degrees in the workplace.” Arguing in favor of skills were Isiak Aliyu Mustapha (300 Level), Suliyat Sani Adejoke (300 Level) and Oseahumen Munr Freedom (400 Level) from Political Science. Countering were Abubakar Sadiq (100 Level), Silvia Ngodoo Tykosu (200 Level) and Suleiman Abubakar Sani (200 Level) from Sociology.
The Political Science students argued that in a technologically evolving world, skills are more important than degrees for succeeding in jobs. While a degree may help you get hired initially, skills enable you keep the job. A skilled person can be independent while degree holders need to work under the skilled. Highly successful people like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg succeeded without degrees, instead hiring degree holders.
The Sociologists argued that you cannot get a job to use your skills without a degree. Degrees provide critical soft skills—communication, critical thinking, writing, public speaking. Degree holders have versatility and breadth of knowledge from studying diverse subjects, unlike narrow specialized skills. If skills were more valuable, they posed, why would university students be there debating?
After the panel discussions concluded, the Head of the Political Science department applauded the debaters for engaging on contemporary issues. Dr. Akin highlighted education’s role in economic development, citing Singapore. Dr. Salisu encouraged continuing such debates within the Faculty.
The Panel A discussion ended in a tie. After a 2-minute argument between representatives, Bello Dámilọ́lá Rofiat (Mass Communication) and Muhammad Adamu (International Studies), Mass Communication got 62.2% while International Studies proceeded to the next stage with 64.1%. In Panel B, Sociology won with 65% while Political Science scored 64.4%. The finals are slated for March 9th between Sociology and International Studies.
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