Richards S. Peters’ Concept of Education and the Educated Man: Implications for Leadership Recruitment in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines Richards S. Peter’s concept of education and the educated man as a template for leadership recruitment in Nigeria. The purpose is to determine the extent to which ascension into political leadership positions in Nigeria conforms to such conception especially against the background of the general belief that greatness of a nation is a product of its educational attainment. However, the paper through content analyses observes that political leadership in Nigeria from independence up to the present has fallen short of the criteria of education and the marks of an educated man. Hence, the manifest relegation of the concept and what it stands for. The paper concludes that the observance of these criteria in breach rather than in compliance inadvertently foregrounds godfatherism in political participation while serving as precursor to the various absurdities confronting the country. To achieve the objectives of this paper, it is hereby recommended that leadership recruitment is a challenge and should be for the truly educated as prescribed by R. S. Peters.

Keywords: Richards S. Peters, Education, Educated Man, Leadership, Nigeria.