As a Nigerian graduate, I know it’s mandatory for me to serve my father’s land for a year after my University education wherever I’m posted to. I also know as a southerner, I’m likely to be serve in the north but I had prayed about it; that it would be in one of the few big cities there like Kaduna, Kano or Jos. Who among the southern Nigerian graduates does not dread the north; a whole one year can invoke the images of religious riots (especially for a Christian), harsh unpredictable weather conditions and lack of basic infrastructures facilities like water, electricity and internet.

When I got my posting letter, I was shocked to see that I’ve been posted to an obscure state- Bauchi in the north. Of course I felt highly disappointed, especially when seeing the pity reactions of family and friends and fellow colleagues who had bribed the corrupt officials in charge, to change back their posting to the south.

After musing in my heart, I decided to go where I’m posted to and hoped that my work would not involved teaching, because I have heard so much about how frustrating it was to teach the educationally less developed children from the north.

On getting to my place of primary assignment, Kirfi- a very remote village in Bauchi state, I discovered that it was worse than I expected. The village had no telecommunication, Internet or post office facilities, and for a graduate like me, who wish to get a job immediately after my service year, the situation seems hopeless. The electricity power supply is epileptic; like two hours every day. To add salt to the injury, I was posted to the only secondary school in the village where only ten percent of the students could barely speak in smattering English. The mud house lodge where I was to live could only be equated with a bakery.

In the school, I was assigned to teach form four and five geography, for they didn’t have a teacher for the course. After browsing through the syllabus, I realized I have a lot to teach. I then implored the students to be waiting for one hour after school for free extra moral classes, only to be taken aback by their chorus replies “How much are you going to pay us to wait, teacher?” I was stupefied and knew then that I was in for it. I realized later that they were ignorant because most of them are locked up in the village and has probably never gone out of it before. Most of them does not have T.V or radio in their house and never even know what is happening in their country. There is no exposure, no competition. Nothing to motivate them.