OBAFEMI AWOLOWO'S CONCEPT OF MENTAL MAGNITUDE AND THE DRIVE TOWARDS ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTED EDUCATION: A CASE FOR 'CAPUAMANUISM'

The concept of Mental Magnitude is central to Obafemi Awolowo's philosophy of education. His philosophy of education does not explore the best method in teaching; but, rather it emphasizes the role of education in the integral formation of the individual (human being). Nonetheless, he was more concerned with the discipline of the human mind; which of course suggests that his philosophy of education would have adopted the idealist theory of education which can easily lead to a good training of the mind, the development of man's physical and spiritual wellbeing, and the subjection of appetite or desire to reason. In as much one can draw strength from his objective of education, which is focused on the idealist theory, and present a credible rationale to dismiss the current misconception of education as a means of acquiring degree certicates for acquisition of wealth. However, the emphasis on skill acquisition does not have a basis in the mental magnitude of Obafemi Awolowo. This is largely reected in the Nigerian society were skill acquisition is taken for granted and the laying of more emphasis on classroom education as the only means of wealth creation; this again suggest his emphasis on free education. The aim of this paper is to rstly appraise Obafemi Awolowo's mental magnitude as a means of instilling discipline and the development of an integral character formation of the individual in a society bedeviled by materialism, entitlement mindset, and inordinate desire for power etc. This paper, on the other hand, discusses the importance of skill development and acquisition; entrepreneurship and formal education in Nigeria. There is a quest for harmonious reconciliation of the imperatives of mental magnitude and the imperatives of entrepreneurial education. The paper proposes the Philosophy of 'Capuamanuism' as a philosophy of educating the fuller-and-ready human person. Capuamanuism suggests that skill acquisition can be harmonize with the doctrine of mental magnitude in such a way that youths in Nigerian education system can acquire entrepreneurial skills and still be academically savvy. The training of youth who are savvy both entrepreneurially and academically is credible resources for national progress, wealth creation and character formation. This paper adopts an expository and qualitative research method to argue for the harmonious reconciliation of mental magnitude and entrepreneurship education through 'Capuamanuism' as a method and process of holistic education towards wealth creation.

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