‘Address Nigeria’s Poor Performance in Maths’

Paul Obi in Abuja
The National Mathematical Centre (NMC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in resuscitating the interest of Nigerians in the study of mathematics, as the country continues to experience poor performance.

It said the prevailing rate of failure on the subject should compel the federal government to declare a state of emergency in mathematics.
The Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Adewale Solarin, who made this known in Abuja at a press conference ahead of the international symposium on ‘Current Research Trends in Mathematical Sciences and Applications’, observed that mathematical scientists in the country are gradually turning to “endangered species”, as the number of mathematical experts are varnishing by the day.

He bemoaned the poor quality of mathematical science education and the low turnout of qualified mathematics teachers in the country, adding, “to compound matters, many African countries have witnessed unprecedented proliferation of universities and other tertiary institutions all over the continent with inadequate matching funds with the consequence that available mathematical science expertise are spread so thin resulting in shortfall of staff, facilities and infrastructure.”

On the symposium, Solarin said the forum would create an avenue for the younger generation of mathematical scientists to interact with and be tutored by various experts in the field. “During the symposium, there will be panel discussions aimed at issues affecting the overall development of mathematics in Africa. The symposium will pave the way for more specialised.”