Bridging the Gap: Education as the Key Difference Between Developed and Developing Countries

From my perspective, having experienced both worlds, the real difference between developed and developing countries can be distilled into two critical factors: education and ego. In this post, I will focus on education, with a subsequent discussion on ego in a later one.

Education is undeniably a cornerstone of development. Its importance as a driver of progress is so significant that the United Nations advises countries to allocate a substantial portion of their national budgets to it. As the saying goes, "Show me your education budget, and I can tell you how fast your development will be."

Education can be understood in two dimensions: quantity and quality. Quantity refers to the availability of sufficient educational institutions to serve the population. However, the quality of education is even more crucial, as it determines the real impact. Sadly, in developing countries, the quality of education is often alarmingly low. While the? inadequate quantity may be overlooked, quality is where the real challenge lies, because of its direct impact on development, especially at tertiary education level.?

This and this practicality elucidate Nigerian context; this situation generally cut across developing countries, the difference is just in variation. To illustrate, I draw on my own experience. Having been trained in England to conduct impactful research aimed at driving socioeconomic change, I now find myself in a challenging position. Despite rising through the ranks to become an Associate Professor, I feel unfulfilled in my ability to contribute meaningfully to my society. What do academics in developing countries typically do when promotion is imminent? Many—though not all—regurgitate outdated theories that have long been discarded in developed countries and present them as new academic contributions. Worse still, some resort to plagiarism to meet the demands of academic advancement.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a tremendous opportunity for developing nations to catch up with, and even surpass, the developed world. However, very few developing countries are giving this transformative field the attention it deserves. AI is revolutionizing all aspects of human activity, and the countries that prioritize it will undoubtedly have an edge.

Once a problem is identified, it is halfway to being solved. For developing countries, the way forward is clear: they must place renewed emphasis on education by addressing both its quality and quantity.