Few issues pose as grave a threat to Nigeria’s long-term stability and prosperity as the deepening crisis in its education sector. According to UNESCO, as of 2023, Nigeria accounts for over 20 million out-of-school children, the highest number globally. Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics reports that more than 53 percent of young Nigerians aged 15–24 are either unemployed or underemployed, with many graduates lacking the skills required by employers. This dual crisis, a failure to provide basic education for millions and a labour market flooded with credentialed but ill-equipped job seekers, exposes a system in urgent need of structural overhaul. Yet rather than confront these systemic deficiencies, lawmakers continue to propose the establishment of new universities across senatorial districts, reinforcing a dangerous illusion that infrastructure expansion equates to progress.
“Yet rather than confront these systemic deficiencies, lawmakers continue to propose the establishment of new universities across senatorial districts, reinforcing a dangerous illusion that infrastructure expansion equates to progress.”
This approach reflects a reluctance to engage with the hard truths underpinning Nigeria’s educational malaise. The country’s obsession with certificates and institutional expansion masks more uncomfortable questions: Why do so many young Nigerians emerge from the system ill-equipped for the workplace? Why does formal education fail to lift millions out of poverty or exclusion? These are questions that require humility to ask and courage to address. As Shruthi Kumar argued in her recent Harvard commencement address, recognising what we do not know can be the starting point for deeper innovation and institutional reform. Nigeria must adopt such epistemic humility if it is to navigate its educational impasse.
The roots of the crisis run deep. Nigeria’s curriculum remains largely colonial in design — rigid, centralised, and theoretical. It prizes memorisation over reasoning and standardisation over adaptability. In many cases, graduates possess academic knowledge but lack practical skills, especially in technical fields. This disconnect between educational output and economic demand has been further compounded by a neglect of foundational learning, particularly in the north, where educationally less developed states dominate the landscape.
A genuine reset must begin with a fundamental shift in how education is conceived and delivered. Nigeria must redefine education not as a mere conveyor belt for degrees but as a tool for meaningful engagement with society, labour, and local realities. Reforming basic education is essential, but so too is opening up new forms of learning that extend beyond the classroom. Across Africa, successful experiments in informal and hybrid learning, such as community hubs that merge digital instruction with mentorship, are showing what is possible. Rather than replicate the colonial model, Nigeria should draw inspiration from more contextual, community-oriented models of learning.
New institutions alone will not solve the problem if they replicate old failures. Instead, Nigeria needs community-based centres of learning that use technology to reach marginalised learners while addressing local challenges. It must develop alternative certification systems in partnership with industries, allowing young people to gain recognised skills in fields like agriculture, coding, and renewable energy without the bottleneck of university admission. Teacher networks should also be decentralised, encouraging innovation and responsiveness to local learning needs, rather than continued dependence on bureaucratic direction.
These reforms will demand political will and strategic investment. They will also require policymakers to engage more directly with those excluded from the system: unemployed graduates in Lagos and Port Harcourt, out-of-school children in Borno or Kano, and teachers working without adequate support across rural Nigeria. From these interactions may emerge not just better policies but a clearer understanding of what education should achieve in the 21st century.
Ultimately, Nigeria must abandon the illusion that quantity can compensate for quality. It is not the sheer number of universities that will define Nigeria’s future, but the calibre of learning and the preparedness of its citizens to thrive in an increasingly complex world. This requires a fundamental shift in focus, prioritising investment in teacher training and development, curriculum modernisation that emphasises critical thinking and practical skills, and robust quality assurance mechanisms across all levels of education.
Leaders must demonstrate the humility to acknowledge existing shortcomings, actively seek expert guidance and international best practices, and foster open dialogue with educators, students, and industry stakeholders to co-create effective solutions.
Furthermore, a commitment to transparent resource allocation and accountability within the education sector is paramount to ensure that investments translate into tangible improvements in learning outcomes and graduate employability. By embracing a culture of continuous improvement and evidence-based policymaking, Nigeria can move beyond mere expansion and build an education system truly capable of empowering its people and securing a prosperous future. (BusinessDay)
