REGLAMENTO DE LA LEY ORGÁNICA DE EDUCACIÓN INTERCULTURAL BILINGÜE

162 Education here will mean going to its Latin root ‘educare’ which means ‘to bring up’, to ear’.

This implies molding, forming, reforming or improving the person’s personality. It presupposes that something worthwhile (something good) is being imparted to somebody in a morally accepted manner. This distinguishes it from indoctrination, manipulation or propaganda.

Education has, as its primary aim not just to prepare a person for a particular kind of job or professions but the development of personality which involves the development of both the intellect and the will. There is a distinction between education and training. To train a person is to impart to him a certain skill or expertise through a process of instruction. A person can be trained as a medical doctor, as an engineer, or as a lawyer. This has to do with the intellect not with the will. Whereas education has to do with both the intellect and the will. In other words, It Involves both intellect as well as moral formation. It has to do with the whole person, his personality and not just his intellect (Omorogbe 2003:384). Any formation of a person which does not include moral formation is no education. Such a person has, at best, gone through a process of training aimed at acquiring a specific skill or expertise but he has not been educated.

Such a process does not qualify as education. This is why a person may be an intellectual giant but a moral dwarf. Individuals who go through a process of training and acquire certain skills are not educated in the true sense of the word. Such uneducated ‘intellectual giants’ are not very useful to society. ‘Naked greed, dishonesty, stealing government or public money, ability to become a millionaire within the shortest possible time when in government’ make up the characteristics of uneducated intellectual giants (Omorogbe,2003: 380). Therefore, all forms of developmental programmes in and for Nigeria must necessarily qualify as education.

163 3.3 National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)

NASRDA is not left out in the disaster management process. This Agency was established on 5th of May, 1999. Its mandate includes the following;

 Coordinating all research projects on space science and technology;

 Developing indigenous competence in the design and building of appropriate hardware and software in space technology as an essential tool for its socio-economic development and the enhancement of the quality of life of the people of its country;

 Coordination of disaster early warning system.

 Capacity building

In order to carry out its mandate, NASRDA has established centres to develop the relevant fields and coordinate various programmes which include

 Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsuka

 National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos

 Centre for Satellite Technology Development. Abuja

 Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics, Toro

 Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion, Epe

 Centre for Space Science and Technology Education (CEOS News Letter No. 24: 7).

Will Nigeria maintain and develop the institutions already in place by making available the required funds? What about the proactive measures needed to be put in place, establishment of early warning systems in all areas prone to hazards, pre-positioning telecom- equipment in strategic locations or areas known to be at risk, training and education on telecommunications technology for disaster management, legislation permitting effective use of telecom equipment including transborder use in the event of an emergency? How will Nigeria sustain the fight against corruption and effectively address national character in its national political life that often promotes mediocrity of some of its functionaries in public life? How will the shortcomings be contained if not eliminated? Will there be a continuation of policy with subsequent administrations judging by the political experience of the country where every new government discards the policies of the previous administration? It was reported (even though there was an element of exaggeration. It was 15 Engineers that were involved in SSTL, UK Nigeria Sat- 1 and 50 involved in NIGCOMSAT) that of 25 (15) engineers recruited in Nigeria and trained by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA) at Surrey in United Kingdom, only one remains at the agency right now. The engineers who were recruited and trained as part of capacity-building towards the local fabrication of Nigeria’s subsequent satellites were said to have all gone back to England for lack of conducive environment and facility to work (The Nation Thursday, July 5, 2007: 34).

Those issues raised above are part of the serious challenges that are facing the country in the area of space, science, technology and environmental degradation in the country.

164 In the past, international politics of dominant national interest was tolerated when the issues of military security and economic growth were considered the problem of the time. With technological advancement, consequences of globalization and the threat of climate change the contemporary scenario has changed. Therefore, a new paradigm incorporating a collaborative approach must be fashioned if the International Community is truly committed to sustainable development and the preservation and nurturing of the planet. Otherwise, commitment to sustainable development both for the present and future generations will be a mirage.

Furthermore but arguably, the world today is facing crisis of ‘carrying capacity’. There is a threat to the delicate balance between the earth’s ability to adequately sustain its population and absorb its waste. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the world population crossed the 6 billion mark in 1999 whereas it took all of human history before 1804 to reach a world population of 1 billion people. It is estimated that the world population is increasing by 1 billion people every 13 years. UNPF forecasts that the world population will reach the 10 billion mark by 2017 and that the Least Developing Countries record the fastest population increase (Rourke and Boyer, 2004: 399)

The realization of the possibility of a ‘dead’ planet, dramatic population increase in a world of limited resources, unsustainable economic practices in many places and aggressive market competition geared towards profit at all cost at the expense of common good should be compelling enough for the international community to change its politics that is essentially nation state national interest centred. Politics of collaboration must be promoted and urgently too, if sustainable development will be maintained. Many of the international proposals of the past, for a fairer global economy of all countries, from the New International Economic Order, Brandt Report, Brundtland Report through South Commission, Human Development Report and Agenda 21 of Rio Conference to the Commission on Global Governance that were glossed over or largely ignored be Western leaders (Alexander, 1996: 175) must be visited with the aim of responsibly answering the issues they raise. This will imply creating a commitment to equality and diversity that recognizes the intrinsic value of each human being wherever he or she is born (Article 1 of UN Charter of Human Rights) as well as the intrinsic value of non living beings (Oyeshola, 1995: 69). William (1993) rightly counseled when he stated that

Policies to promote economic growth and a rational exploitation of the world’s resources consistent with future as well as present needs will be unsuccessful unless the gains from trade are equitably distributed. In the contemporary global economy, this necessitates a reversal in the terms of trade of countries exporting primary commodities, the cessations of protectionist policies by developed countries against the exports of developing countries, and the promotion of successful export diversification strategies by Third World governments. The combined effect of poverty and an unequal trading system perpetuates unsustainable development, environmental degradation and poverty (William, 1993: 93).

165 Nigeria as a stakeholder in the preservation and promotion of clean environment for all, and upholding the principle of sustainable development has an indispensable challenge in this enterprise of collaborative environmental diplomacy if its vision to become one of the twentieth economies in the world by the year 2020 will be realizable. In its praxis, Africa centred foreign policy objective needs to be upheld and rigorously pursued. This is because since its independence in 1960, it has as its objective the broad aim of which is to pursue an independent course in Nigeria’s external relations by avoiding entering a defence pact with any foreign power. It must keep its independence and upholds and insists on social justice in nation-state politics. Furthermore, promotion of cooperative diplomacy is indispensable. As the saying goes, charity begins at home. In general Nigeria’s domestic politics must be collaborative, transparent and sustainable development compatible. War against illegal drugs and corruption especially in government must be sustained, rule of law upheld, security improved considerably and food security guaranteed. Provision of infrastructure is an ingredient for the development of welfare of responsible citizenry. Morality and education as discussed under ‘Challenges of the Principles of Sustainable Development’ above must be within reach of all. This type of education is capable of changing perceptions and molding character for sustainable society.