A netizen has stirred up a hornet’s nest online after urging Americans and other Westerners to shun American colleges for top African universities.
In a viral TikTok video, the commentator claimed the Western universities, notably those in North America, are outrageously expensive.
According to The Rohrs Team, top African universities are undervalued despite being on par, if not better, academically than their counterparts in Western countries.
“African universities are far better than the Western world gives them credit for. With many of the top universities in Africa out competing their equivalents in the western world,”
He said the reason African universities had not gotten any recognition was because such acknowledgement would disrupt the gravy train.
“In the western world, colleges have gotten away with charging undergraduate students 100,000 USD (KSh 12,000,000), 200000 USD (KSh 24,000,000), or even 300,000 USD (KSh 37,000,000) for a four-year degree.”
And you better believe they want that gravy train to continue. They don’t want Western students to realise that they could get an African education that would be the equivalent or better without going into massive student debt.” He said.
He further demonstrated that the course work at African universities was thorough and more rigorous compared with an equivalent Western university.
The econometrics and math scholar used the curriculums of the department of mathematics at the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos (both top African universities) to demonstrate the rigorous requirements of the degree course.
“It’s a lot. “It’s typically more than you’ll typically find in a Western university,” he said in the review of the courses at the two universities.
“As far as the difficulty of the courses themselves, I had the opportunity to review both the exams and the homework from these universities, and I can tell you that it is on par with what you would find in a good western university,” he said.
@rohrsteam Are African Universities underrated? We examined their math departments to find out! #rohrsteam #ghana #nigeria #africa #universityofghana #universityoflagos #africanuniversities #accra #lagos #college ♬ original sound – The Rohrs Team
Furthermore, in an intriguing comparison, The Rohr’s Team tipped an average African student to demonstrate academic seriousness when compared to their western counterpart.
“The typical African student is going to college because he’s trying to make a better life for himself and his family. Whereas the typical Western student may just be going to college because their parents pressured them to do so or because it’s just something to do after high school.”
He slammed the Western universities for propping up co-curricular activities over academics.
“In the western world, there is an emphasis on football teams, partying, and everything except for education itself,” he said.
University of Cape Town was ranked number one in Africa in 2022 global rankings. Photo/courtesy
The video elicited mixed reactions from the Tik-Toker’s followers, with a majority backing his assertions.
El Gordo: That’s why a lot of African kids are smart when they come over here (to mean America).
Nanaesi Amaosiwa: Please note that even in Ghana, the University of Ghana’s curriculum is considered a bit easier than some universities in Ghana.
Mariah1234: I studied architecture in Nigeria, and after coming to the UK for my master’s, without putting in much effort, I was topping my class, which could never happen before.
Suleiman: BSc in Nigeria, MSc in the U.K.At BSc, I would panic because I thought I’d fail, and then I’d fail. At MSc, I would panic because I thought I’d fail, then get an A.
user6915116359024 : Finally, someone is saying it the way it is. I can tell you that my husband attended medical school in Nigeria!He is the best among his colleagues in the US currently.
KenechukwuM: The problem with African education or curriculum, in my opinion, is that it is outdated, that it is not frequently updated, that there are no labs or equipment, and that the number of students is enormous.
Students following a lecture at a University classroom. Photo/courtesy
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The average cost of a medical school degree in the United States is $230,296 (KSh 28.4 million), according to educationdata.org.
Compare that to the University of Nairobi (Kenya), which charges around $31,578 (KSh 3.9 million) for a 6-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBchB) course.
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