Education is the cornerstone of every nation’s development, serving as a powerful tool for economic growth, social stability, and innovation.
In Nigeria, strengthening the education sector is vital for long-term, sustainable progress. The fundamentally broken Nigeria’s education, would not heal on its own except some urgent and drastic actions are taken.
Experts believe that as the country faces evolving economic, social, and technological challenges, empowering educational institutions, educators, and learners has become more urgent than ever.
According to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) report, ‘Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, representing a third consecutive increase since the second quarter of 2023.
However, the underemployment rate fell from 12.3 percent in 2023 third quarter in 10.6 percent in 2024 quarter one.’
Hence, they argue that by investing in quality teaching, infrastructure, innovation, and inclusive policies, Nigeria can build a resilient education system that not only addresses today’s needs but also prepares citizens for the global workplace.
Jessica Osuere, chief executive officer at RubiesHub Educational Services believes Nigeria needs competence-based education system to upskill students for future-work ready.
‘Our education has been highly theoretical even in the sciences and technology, that’s why you see someone studying engineering that cannot couple engines.
‘Empowering the youngsters with practical skills will lead to innovations, creation of more jobs and eradicate poverty in the country,’ she said.
No society would discount the importance of education and investing in their future, but, in Nigeria, the teaching workforce is under pressure like never before: comparatively low pay, insufficient teaching resources, and increased class sizes, among others.
Many teachers besides, poor remuneration and lack of teaching resources, are faced with persistent issues of salaries delay.
Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said delaying teachers’ salaries has negative impact on learning outcomes.
Achebo reiterated that when teachers are not paid on time, it affects their motivation, attendance, and overall teaching quality such as poor lesson preparation, students’ poor performance, poor classroom attendance and lack of practical learning, among others.
‘Teachers may not be motivated to prepare well-structured lessons, leading to a decline in teaching quality. Besides, irregular salary payments can result in students performing poorly in exams due to inadequate teaching and lack of resources.
‘Delayed salaries might limit the implementation of practical learning experiences, such as study tours, which are essential for students’ development; and teachers may not attend classes regularly, disrupting the learning environment and impacting students’ academic progress,’ he said.
To ensure long-term, sustainable impact, there is a need to reinforce the foundations of Nigeria’s education system.
This involves not just investment in infrastructure, but also reforms in policy, curriculum, teacher training, and governance. Strengthening these institutions is not merely a national priority, it is a generational necessity.
Busayo Aderounmu, a senior lecturer at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, expressed concerns that Nigeria’s education institutions, especially public ones, lack adequate facilities and funding.
‘There should be more funding for research and the provision of critical infrastructural facilities and equipment. Educators should also be receiving training from time to time to make them on par with their counterparts across the globe, and their welfare should be prioritised.
‘The world has gone beyond theories taught in the classroom, so curriculum needs to be improved to accommodate the practical aspect of the subject taught,’ she said.
Victor Odumuyiwa, senior lecturer at the Department of Computer Sciences, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, emphasised that Nigeria need capacity building in tech skill for the youth to compete at the global level.
‘The most important thing is capacity building; the opportunities are huge. The government should put in place initiatives to support people that want to learn.
‘The government funds create the platform for upskilling of its citizens by looking out for competent organisation to anchor the training, and give opportunity to people to be upskilled,’ he said.
Kingsley Moghalu, president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation asserted that Nigeria’s education system must be tailored to drive human capital development in order to be globally competitive.
‘Nigeria is urgently in need of educational policy that can enhance its human capital, make it globally competitive, and bolster its standing within the global community.
‘This kind of education must prioritise access and quality by emphasising literacy, skills and national values. Our country has suffered a massive, progressive collapse of values over the past several decades,’ he said.
Moghalu emphasised that Nigeria must put skill development right at its centre. ‘Education must go beyond rote memorisation of facts to helping learners acquire various forms of skills that make them form a formidable human capital for the nation,’ he noted.