Many Nigerian curricula are outdated — UK-based scholar

Dr. Oyedele Ogundana, a Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, shared his journey from a thriving career in Abuja to academia in the United Kingdom. He explained that his initial plan was not to stay in the UK after pursuing his master's degree in 2013, but meeting his wife, who grew up in the UK, shifted his focus.

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Hard work knows no boundaries, whether in the UK or Nigeria. You just have to work hard. When you put in a lot of work, the sky is the limit.

Ogundana pursued his PhD in Business and began lecturing at the university in 2016. He attributes his success to "God's grace and sheer hard work," emphasizing that hard work is universally valued and that "the sky is the limit" when one applies themselves.

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Unfortunately, many developed countries don’t give adequate recognition to qualifications obtained from Nigeria. So, one of the challenges is trying to utilise your Nigerian qualifications in Europe.

He identified the transferability of Nigerian qualifications as a significant challenge. Despite holding prestigious certifications like Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and Fellow of the Association of International Accountants, he found that many developed countries do not adequately recognize qualifications obtained in Nigeria. This necessitated acquiring international credentials to appeal on a global stage.

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If you cram in the UK, you will fail. Everything is about applying what you have learnt.

Adapting to the British learning system also presented difficulties. Ogundana contrasted it with the Nigerian system, which he described as largely focused on memorization for examinations. In the UK, he found that "If you cram, you will fail," as the system demands the application of learned material. He struggled initially but improved after understanding how to interpret examination directives and adjust his approach, passing all his second-attempt exams in one sitting. Financial challenges were also present, but he maintained a resilient attitude, advising himself "Don't get nervous and don't give up."

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Don’t get nervous and don’t give up.