The prosperity of any nation is deeply tied to the strength of its educational system. Education is a fundamental pillar that shapes the economy, drives social development, and fosters national stability. Yet, despite Nigeria’s vast resources, the education sector remains in disarray—plagued by crises that continue to worsen.
The problems range from sheer neglect and chronic underfunding to what appears to be deliberate sabotage by those in power—perhaps to keep citizens too uninformed to demand their rights.
According to UNICEF, about 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5 to 14 are out of school. This staggering figure places Nigeria at the top of the global list for out-of-school children.
The situation is even more dire in the northern region, where school-age children have been reduced to street beggars. They roam the streets doing menial jobs instead of being in classrooms where they belong.
Several factors are responsible for this deplorable state.
First is underfunding. While UNESCO recommends that 26% of national budgets be allocated to education, some Nigerian states allocate less than 20%. The World Bank also recommends between 20% and 30%. Yet in 2023, states like Nasarawa, Oyo, and Sokoto allocated less than 30% to education. In total, education accounted for just 9.27% of the N66.11 trillion budgeted across the federation for the year—far below any acceptable benchmark.
Second is insecurity. In the Southeast, the activities of separatist groups like the so-called Biafran boys have crippled education. Schools are routinely shut down on Mondays and whenever violence breaks out. Parents are forced to keep their children at home out of fear. As a result, school calendars in those states have been severely disrupted.
The North is not spared either. Worsening banditry and terrorism have turned many schools into soft targets. Children are kidnapped almost weekly, and school buildings are razed. Entire communities are gripped by fear, making learning impossible.
Another critical issue is incessant strikes. Only recently, primary school teachers in Abuja, led by popular activist VeryDarkMan, took to the streets to protest poor remuneration. They demanded salary increases and better working conditions. Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) asked its members to demand their June salaries and threatened another strike. This is just one in a long list of industrial actions. Each time ASUU goes on strike, higher institutions are thrown into chaos. Students are left idle, with many drifting into nefarious activities out of frustration.
The shortage of qualified teachers and infrastructure is another pressing issue—especially in public schools. The national policy on education recommends a student-teacher ratio of 1:35 in primary schools and 1:40 in secondary schools. But in most government-owned schools, these numbers are grossly exceeded.
Overcrowded classrooms have become the norm, not the exception. This is a serious breach of ration policy and one that hampers meaningful teaching and learning.
To make matters worse, most of these schools lack basic infrastructure, including classrooms, desks and learning materials.
All these challenges paint a grim picture of Nigeria’s education system. It is high time both the federal and state governments intensified efforts to revive the sector. Urgent and sincere investment is needed to make teaching and learning not just possible—but effective, inclusive, and sustainable.
