A LECTURER at the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Salihu Musa, has called for the re-introduction of Geography in schools to improve the nation’s educational standard.
The don made the call on Thursday during FUL’s 19th Inaugural Lecture held at the Andankola Campus in Lokoja, on the theme: “Geography and Sustainability: Unravelling the Myths, Reality, and Practicability”.
Musa, a professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, blamed policymakers for the removal of Geography as a subject for both the Sciences and Humanities in the nation’s primary and secondary schools, adding that the benefits of Geography for Nigeria were overwhelming.
“Geography plays a pivotal role in building resilience and fostering adaptation towards sustainability by providing essential insights into the spatial dimensions of environmental change, socio-economic vulnerabilities and complex interactions between human societies and natural systems.
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“It helps in comprehending the diverse environmental processes and hazards such as climate change, natural disasters and ecosystem degradation, that pose risks to human communities.
“Geography also plays a crucial role at ensuring sustainability through equity and justice by providing insights into the distribution of resources, environmental vulnerabilities and socio-economic disparities across different regions,” he said.
He regretted that in spite of its benefits, Geography has been removed completely from the Primary school curriculum.
“It has become an optional subject for only a section of our students in secondary schools. We are now raising geographically-ignorant children; citizens lack the basic knowledge of our culture and environment and cannot, therefore, interact sustainably with the environment,” he said.
The don lamented that civil engineers lack basic knowledge about topography.
“Town planners cannot read and produce simple maps; politicians won’t have the basic spatial knowledge of their constituencies. Geographic considerations contribute to social equity and environmental justice,” he explained.
Earlier in his welcome address, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, had expressed satisfaction with the series of inaugural lectures in the institution.
Akinwumi said that the inaugural lectures serve as platforms for professors to share their research, insights and contributions with the wider academic community and the public.
He said that the theme of the lecture was timely and vital, especially now that the nation navigates the complexities of the modern world, the concepts of sustainability and geography, which are increasingly interwoven.
He described Prof. Musa as a scholar whose dedication to the field of geography and environmental studies was exemplary. (NAN)
