I have read many fabricated stories by Western Press that literacy rate is low in Nigeria which is absolutely not true. (UNESCO 2008: Youth Literacy 66.38%). Nigerians are not less educated than many western nations. I can understand that the far north of Nigeria is below the literacy threshold, however that should never be generalised by any institutions to insult the inteligence and integrity of the southern peoples of Nigeria. The southern peoples of Nigeria, including the middle belt are as educated as any western nations. Nigeria and indeed Africa must resist these fabrications as it helps no one. I can understand that some organisations may use it to receive money from UN agencies, however, that fabricated statistics is an insult to the peoples of southern Nigeria. Imo State of Nigeria is as educated as any states in the world. Since the beginning of Nigeria, the western Nigeria was motivated by Pa Awolowo’s free education system declaration in 1955; the east believed that education is wealth and therefore, should be paid for.
 
However, the cost of education on primary and secondary levels has not demotivated many people to exclude their children from school, and since the 1980s, primary and secondary educations in the south has been free. That begs the question, what is the threshold of literacy level? If then the answer is primary and secondary levels, that means that literacy levels in the southern part of Nigeria, middle belt included, should be above 90%. Then, if this is the case, how does Nigeria allow themselves to be insulted by the western-led United Nations? The problem in the southern Nigeria is not education; it is unemployment. (NBS 2017: Unemployment Rate 18.8%). Has the western-led United Nations and others tried to help Nigerians to solve its unemployment rate? Unemployment rate in the eastern part of Nigeria is far below the acceptable level. There are hundreds of thousands of young people with enviable results and certificates as university graduates, yet are unemployed more than five years after graduation. Nigeria is blessed with home-trained youth, otherwise, these young men and women could have turned to crime. Nigeria has woefully failed their young people both on federal level and the state level. They are not lazy, they are helpless. I rest my case.
By: Oguchi Martins Egbujor
UK Based Strategic Management Lecturer