How Huge Disparity In Reward System Promotes Wrong Values

By Isioma Madike
Nigeria, in recent times, grapples with the challenge of balancing its youth population with the preservation of moral values. These, according to some opinions, pose an ethical problem for the younger generation. However, there have been stories surrounding the nation’s reward system that some believe highlight a major disconnect. The stories have been centered on what has been described as high-profile, often extravagant rewards that favour, for instance, sports and entertainment. These, many have observed, contrast with underwhelming and sometimes negligible rewards for academic excellence.
Still fresh in mind is the presidential largesse of a $100,000 prize, conferment of national honours, and a three-bedroom apartment to the Super Falcons after conquering Africa to retain the WAFCON title they have won a record ten times in Morocco. The same gesture was extended to the women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, who also won their seventh AfroBasketball and fifth consecutive title in Côte d’Ivoire. Within the same period, a 17-year-old, Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, emerged as the world’s best in English Language Skills at the TeenEagle Global Finals in London. What the same system gave her as reward was, at best, an insult to education, according to informed minds. She got a measly ₦200,000 without a scholarship.
The so-called national honour evaporated into mere ceremony after she left Abuja. ₦75,000 each to two overall best graduating students of a Nigerian university was also said to have been given. Tragic as this may seem, it sends, according to many, a wrong message to millions of Nigerian youths. A Professor of Linguistics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, Amsterdam, Chris Agbedo, said the dots are not difficult to connect. He added that a society that pours millions into short-lived sporting triumphs but barely invests in its intellectual champions teaches its youths that dribbling a ball is more valuable than breaking intellectual boundaries.
He said: “The stories from Nigeria’s ivory towers reinforce the same tragic picture. In the psychological marketplace of ideas, young people often ask themselves a simple but sobering question: is effort worth the reward? Their answers are shaped not by what the government or society proclaims but by what it demonstrably rewards. In today’s Nigeria, this calculus increasingly tilts toward despair, producing a catchphrase that has become both mantra and lament among the youth and Gen Z demographic—‘school na scam.’”
A Professor of English at the University of Lagos, Christopher Anyokwu, said honest labour needs to be rewarded as customary. He believes that if anyone applies themselves in any noble venture, society is duty bound to remunerate them accordingly. “So, those who say that education is a scam are obviously in error, as education will remain the key to development and better life. However, in Nigeria, it’s rather tragic that virtue is vilified and punished while vice is celebrated and rewarded handsomely,” he said. “It’s sad that parents have lost the plot regarding child upbringing and mentoring. Regardless of the challenges facing them, parents must do their level best to provide guidance and a life worthy of emulation.”
Dr. Chukwuma Anyanwu, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Theatre Arts, Delta State University, Abraka, disagreed with those who believe that the reward system diminishes or erodes societal values. He said on the contrary, it is uplifting and encouraging, provided the reward is commensurate with the achievement. “When priorities are misplaced and the reward is for trivialities, such reward becomes obscene, provides the opposite effect and becomes counterproductive, as is prevalent in our country with its penchant for doing the unexpected. The example of Big Brother Nigeria comes easily to mind when you see the winner being celebrated while those who do exploits for Nigeria in the academic field are treated with scorn and indifference,” he said.
Anyanwu said Nigeria got to this unfortunate state of affairs when her leadership began to drop right from the Second and Third Republics. “Look around you,” he said, “in which country does its academia frequently go on strike as it happens here? None comparable to Nigeria. The leadership doesn’t seem to understand the value of education. Which lecturer in Nigeria can purchase a 2008 model vehicle without borrowing? And look at the rulers living lives of opulence. Why should the country not nosedive in morality?”
He added that except something is done to change the narrative by punishing evil and rewarding virtue, things will get worse. “But who’s going to bell the cat? Is it the same ruling class that has descended to the nadir point of corruption and indecency, devoid of shame? The future is indeed gloomy in terms of moral values,” he said.
The Director, National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency, Dr. Rose Gidado, also said Nigerian society’s current state can be attributed to cultural influences, parenting styles, and societal values. She said the emphasis on material rewards and instant gratification might have contributed to the current situation. While it’s understandable to encourage kids to excel in various fields, promoting huge rewards for achievements in sports and entertainment over education can have negative consequences.
She said it is essential to strike a balance and recognise the value of educational achievements as well. “We need to re-evaluate our reward systems by ensuring that educational achievements and other valuable skills are recognised and rewarded. Encourage positive reinforcement, nurture a culture of appreciation, and build supportive communities for parents and children. Let’s work together to create a more supportive environment for our children,” she said.
This article is culled from New Telegraph.