Why 2016 Would Be BIG On CREATIVITY On This Blog

By Kenneth Nwachinemelu David-Okafor

For the past 24 months, NAIJAGRAPHITTI Blog has assayed a series of detailed examinations of how creativity is a concern in Nigeria across several sectors. Out of both professional and scholarly interest, the investigations attempted to answer key questions about how well and how less well Nigeria has fared along the path of making the teaching of creativity a specific learning goal. The investigations were based on an evaluation of to what degree encouraging and facilitating creativity is a concern at individual, group and community levels in Nigeria through an appraisal of the state of affairs regarding creativity and its varying conceptualizations in academia, industry, practice, politics and culture.

In theory and in practice, much research has concluded that the benefits of encouraging and facilitating creativity are many in terms of personal development and the growth in learners’ capabilities. Given the subsisting scenarios in which creativity has been conceptualized as: (a) the individual personality traits that facilitate the generation of new ideas, (b) the process of generating new ideas, (c) outcomes of creative processes, and (d) environments conducive to new ideas and behaviour, how far (or not) and how well (or not) has Nigeria interpreted and operationalized (if any) its own concepts of creativity, and in what areas/domains? How far has Nigeria gone in exploring the benefits of encouraging and facilitating creativity?

Based on multidisciplinary research outcomes, using parallel and retrospective studies, comparative analysis, direct observation and creativity literature reviews, the work examines the effects of not teaching creativity, its related concepts and the ramifications in wide ranging areas pertaining to Nigeria’s creative potential including socioeconomics, innovation systems, technical and vocational education, national inventiveness, cultural and creative industries, and productivity. Complementary researches from five continents and twenty countries were appraised to draw practical lessons which could be contextually adapted. Experiences reviewed include in-country and international studies/projects/reports from North America, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa as well as countries such as Australia, United States, South Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Sweden, France, United Kingdom, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Israel, Thailand, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and South Africa. The work then explores how creativity is 'unevolved' and even 'blocked' in a variety ways in Nigeria.

Through research, tinkering and academic scholarship, education has become established as the only viable way to teach creativity to a large number of people. The teaching creativity has been determined to help learners adjust to change that is both rapid and sweeping, and cope with the uncertainties of the future. Fostering creativity in education is intended to address many concerns including dealing with ambiguous problems, coping with the fast changing world and facing an uncertain future, reaping the rewards of the role of creativity in the economy, by helping nations attain higher employment, economic achievement and to cope with increased competition. Has Nigeria and its education system being able to cope (or not) in fostering creativity?

At the conclusion of the investigations, there are a number of key findings to share.

The broad thesis which underpins the investigations was that Nigeria is stuck in a creative rut due to a dearth of opportunity to learn about and practice competencies and skills in creativity and its pertaining concepts including critical thinking, initiative, problem solving, risk assessment, decision taking, and constructive management of feelings. The work theorizes that the discovery of the prospects and potential of creativity made education reformers and thinkers started pursuing making creativity a specific learning goal. And that as the rest of the world began the teaching of creativity and its pertaining concepts, Nigeria (or more appropriately Nigeria’s education system and curriculum) did not follow suit; the subsequent lagging behind culminated the crisis. Through a retrospective study, the investigations pinpoints seven factors constraining Nigeria’s education system and curriculum as a vector for transmitting lessons in creativity and its pertaining concepts.

Frank Nweke jr, a former Director-General of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and one-time Minister of Information and Communications in the Obasanjo administration while delivering a keynote address titled "Creativity and Innovation - Key to African Renaissance", during the 7th annual lecture jointly organized by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and Lifeline Care Association (a non-profit organization) said, "The potentials of creativity and innovation have not been harnessed by Nigeria as we currently speak. It is true and extremely laudable that Nigeria now ranks 26th largest economy in the world and largest in Africa with about US$510 billion in nominal Gross Domestic Product. There is however a very big difference between being the 26th largest economy in the world and being one of the richest countries in the world. The difference here is with per capita income which characterizes a nation into one of three categories- factor driven economy, efficiency driven economy or an innovation driven economy. No country including Nigeria can develop by accident. If you don’t fund your educational system, Infrastructural and human structure you cannot expect to make progress. For Nigeria to really make that quantum progress, we need to invest more in our educational system, our educational institutions, research institutions, to encourage our academics, our talented people within our country to actually embrace research. And to support them financially and with policies. All of these things are as a result of conscious effort to move forward, to progress as a people and as a society or community."

The investigations establish that currently Nigeria’s formal and informal learning systems are not exactly tailored for its graduates to gain and deploy active imagination, creative thinking and problem solving skills. The investigations denote that outside of formal education Nigeria does not have in place accessible and effective informal learning and non-formal education methods for inculcating creativity.

The work then outline the benefits Nigeria stands to reap if only it would re-design the overall curricula, train/retrain teachers, engage parents and implement reforms to evolve an education system that develops the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for a fast changing world, engender intercultural dialogue, promote critical thinking, and support problem-solving.

Overall, the work reviews the demerits of the non-inclusion the teaching of creativity at all levels of the Nigerian primary, secondary, post-secondary, technical and higher education. This hopefully would compel to starting a crucial dialogue around the teaching of creativity as a specific learning goal among decision makers, educators and education stakeholders as well as adding to the vibrant criticisms of the Nigerian education curriculum. The hope is that the requisite retooling of the National Policy on Education and the National curriculum for all tiers of education in Nigeria for teaching creativity as a specific learning goal would become prioritized and faithfully implemented. This work urges that the National Policy on Education and the National curriculum are both works in progress and should be concluded for Nigeria to gain competitive advantage and true value from a balanced education.