A Message from the Institute of Academic Freedom in Nigeria (IAFN)

On behalf of the Institute of Academic Freedom in Nigeria (IAFN), I wish to express our profound gratitude for alerting us of this struggle for a humane society. As an Institute that is avowedly committed to academic freedom and democratic governance, it has come to face the hash realities of the predatory policies of IMF/WB on our educational system.

Ever since this imperialist / capitalist instiutions were established in the mid 1940s, their policies and programmes have never been to the socio-economic development of the common people and the third world.

Every conceivable decision has been to the upliftmnt of capitalist dogma and the continuous enrichment of a few, with the majority of the people facing abject poverty and gradual extinction. This has been demonstrated in the whole world.

It was the IMF/WB that advised African countries particularly Nigeria that they do not need higher education. This led to the closure of some faculties, imposition of higher school fees and increase in cost of education. Predictably, these led to the large number of school drop out, expensiveness of education in the country and the development of unscholarly ethics which debased the glory and fame of Nigerian Universities. Education became a privilege for the few.

In the same vein, it was the IMF/WB dictated Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in the mid 1980s that reduced existence in the country to a worthless struggle. Violence, poverty and all kinds of things including prostitution and obtaining by tricks (419) were done by Nigerians to survive. It was a period that saw the extremity of privatization and commercialization which exposed the economy to the forage of multinational companies supported by IMF/WB. That the Nigerian military introduced one of the worst economic policy in the annals of our political history was because of their dogged committment to adhere strictly to the prescriptions and inhuman conditionalities of IMF/WB.

IAFN would do everything to mobilize internal solidarity in support of this global action. As a first step, we shall have a coalition of groups in support of this struggle and extend the campaign to the remotest corner of our reach.

We shall also be grateful if more information and contacts are given to us in form of books, posters if any and conferences.

It is interesting to note that CAFA under G. Caffentz has done extensive work on the privatisation of African education by the IMF/WB. The organisation has been able to wage a sustainable struggle against the imperialist activities of these global financial institutions.

Our contact address is:
Institute of Academic Freedom in Nigeria
P.O.Box 455
University of Port Harcourt Choba,
Port Harcourt

Telephone: 084-231493
Email: iafn@yahoo.com

Executive Director - Akani Christian

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