"Bokonnan duk Shirme ne": A Dangerous Narrative That Risks the Future of Northern Youths

 In recent years, a dangerous narrative has crept into public discourse: that acquiring “skills” is more important than earning a degree. On the surface, it sounds practical. But peel back the layers, and it reveals a deeper, more systemic threat—one that risks derailing the aspirations of millions of young Nigerians, especially those from Northern Nigeria who already face significant barriers to education.

Recently, a video surfaced on social media showing the Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Ƙauran Bauchi dismissing Boko as "Shirme". I am not sure of the context, but as a governor and one of the leading voices in north east, I was disturbed watching the video.

Let us be clear: the problem in Northern Nigeria is not a surplus of educated youth or university graduates—it is the very absence of access to quality education in the first place. Insecurity, poverty, child labour, early marriage, and fragile public institutions are the real culprits keeping children out of school—not the myth that university degrees are “overrated.”

We were avoiding any debate around the so-called “skills over degree” gospel which thrives on a false binary. An idea that suggests one must choose between learning a trade and pursuing formal education. This is both intellectually dishonest and socially irresponsible. A skill is not the opposite of a degree; it is often the outcome of deep learning, discipline, and long-term investment—things the university system, when functional, is uniquely equipped to offer.

I studied Mass Communication. Not to become a news anchor (though I could, and many do). But to understand how societies think, how ideologies are shaped, how power communicates, and how narratives can be tools of liberation—or oppression. I discovered that Mass Communication isn’t about holding a microphone; it’s about managing minds, decoding cultures, and amplifying truth in a noisy world.

Graduates of Mass Communication can be found not just in TV studios, but in diplomacy, development agencies, policy think tanks, global media platforms, and strategic government roles. Why? Because the discipline trains the mind to think critically, write persuasively, and engage society with intellectual depth.

Here lies the danger: when we tell poor children to “learn tailoring” instead of pursuing university education, we are not empowering them—we are lowering their ceiling of potential. When the sons and daughters of the elite are attending Ivy League schools and building global networks, the children of the poor are being told that “skills” are enough. It is the repackaging of inequality in the language of pragmatism.

Yes, digital and vocational skills matter. But without a foundation in history, philosophy, ethics, and civic reasoning, we risk building a generation of highly skilled but directionless youth—technically capable but easily manipulated, emotionally reactive, and unable to challenge systems of oppression.

Let’s stop confusing survival strategies with long-term development. A young person learning graphic design out of necessity should not be used to discredit the value of a university degree. The right question is: Why can’t we build a system that gives that same person both access to education and opportunity?

We must resist these seductive shortcuts that sound “smart” but are rooted in defeatism. Telling children not to pursue degrees because of the failures of the state is like telling them not to dream because the system is broken.

A degree is not just a certificate—it is a skill, a signal, and a social lever. It opens doors not just for jobs, but for leadership, impact, and innovation. No great society was built on shortcuts.

We need a revolution in thinking—not against education, but against the systems that deny it.

Let the children of the poor have both degrees and skills, dreams and direction. They deserve no less.

What Ƙaura said was wrong and I hope he will recant this statement. Ƙaura is pro-education with a university degree and his giant strides in education contradict this political statement made in a political gathering.