MANAGEMENT EDUCATION AND THE PROBLEMS OF NIGERIAN MANAGERS IN THE 21st CENTURY
By Professor A. A. Aminu
I am glad to be invited as the First President/Chairman of the Institute of Business Diplomacy and Financial Management to deliver a paper to this great gathering of Business Diplomats and Financial Management Experts. First I have to commend the Institute for choosing me as the First indigenous Professor of Business Management in the North East Region and the First President of the Institute to speak on “Management Education and the Problems of Nigerian Managers in the 21st century”. Many a time, children if asked- what do you want to be when you grow up? The answers always is Doctor, Engineer, Teacher, Nurse, Pilot etc. They are ignorant or they forget completely the profession of management education to be an administrator, manager, banker or a businessman. Today, I will educate us on the need to understand the importance of management education.
Management education is viewed in different perspectives by different scholars, government and interested individuals. The economy of the world cannot prosper without professional managers and those that manage the world economy comprises of both professionals and non-professionals. Looking at the current economic melt down of the world, the world at this century needs professional managers to manage its economy. The question is- who are these professional managers and how are they trained? How relevant is management education in the 21st Century? What are the goals of business education, management education or management technology? What are the problems of managers in managing organisations in the 21st century?
Managers are executives or administrators that manage organisations and are referred to those occupying privileged positions in organisations that make the principal decision in the organisations. In other words, they are those who manage the affairs of organisations for effective and efficient administration that will lead the organisation to success. It is a discipline that is being practised through and with people and it comprises many fields such as accounting, finance, marketing, insurance, economics, taxation, commerce etc.
The question is: who are those referred to as Managers. Professional managers are those that have the pre-requisite knowledge of management and are expected to manage the economy not quacks. In this paper, the words Management, ‘management education’, ‘business education’, ‘management technology’, ‘management technology education’, mean one and the same thing. Therefore we shall use the words interchangeably in order to clarify these terms clearly. Business education is used and acquired mostly from the Education Faculty of Universities and Colleges of Education. Management education, and Management technology is from the Universities of Technology and Polytechnics while Management and Business Administration is from the Faculty of Management Sciences, Social Sciences and Business Administration of Universities.
Nigeria and Management Education
Nigeria is a nation that is rich in both human and material resources but its problem is how to manage its resources. This is possible when we have qualified, competent, honest, transparent and accountable managers with good knowledge of management. Without management education, no nation can progress steadily, that is why a nation like Nigeria needs a comprehensive reform with hope of putting emphasis on management education.
Management is an integral part of the general educational policy and Management and Management technology education encompasses Economics, Business Education, Accounting, Financial Management, Insurance, Marketing, Personnel Administration, Finance, Secretarial Studies, etc. but the benefit of Management education for development purpose has not been fully achieved in Nigeria or appreciated by the government. Management education has not been appreciated in the past as it had been seen as an act of buying and selling or it is just an acquisition of skills in typing and shorthand for secretarial services.