The Problems of Education in Nigeria: The way forward

Course: PDE 529 Educational Management and Ethics

Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) ABU Zaria Center

Fwangmun Oscar Danladi

February, 2015
Introduction

As one thinks of Nigeria what quickly comes to mind are the many problems that
have plagued the country. These many problems contribute greatly to the backwardness
the country has been experience. Education is regarded, globally, as a potent
instrument for introducing and sustaining social change in human societies, as well
as shaping its destiny. Apart from serving as a vehicle for enhancing upward
social and economic mobility, education is regarded as a key to social
reconstruction [ CITATION Ife13 \l 1033 ]. What happens if the vehicle that is suppose to
enhance upward social and economic change goes bad? Instead of becoming a vehicle of
upward change it has unfortunately becomes a vehicle of marring instead of making an
individual worthwhile.

Any society that seeks positive growth in all facets – social, economic, religious
etc, must take education seriously. Education is the bedrock of development. But
unfortunately education in Nigeria is bisected with myriads of problems. The problems
that have plagued Nigeria’s education, especially the secondary school are numerous and
unlimited. What are these problems? Are there measures that can be taken to salvage the
system?

The Secondary Education

Secondary education which is of six-year duration according to the National

Policy of Education (NPE, 2014) is supposed to do the following:

- Provides all primary school leavers with the opportunity for education of a higher
level.
- Offers diversified curriculum to cater for the differences in talents, opportunities
and future roles.
- provides trained man power in the applied science, technology and
commerce at sub-professional grades
- Develops and promotes Nigerian languages, art and culture

This paper examines the problems and prospects of education in Nigeria with
special interest on the secondary school because it is foundational and is suppose to
parachute an individual into become independent and worthwhile.

Problems plaguing the Educational System

Many have written on this issue, among which are Odia & Omofonmwan (2007),
Ifenkwe (2013), and many others. Many authors have tried to solve these problem like a
general hospital. Where in most cases drugs are given to the symptoms of an illness and
the main illness is left out. These authors highlighted many problems ranging from poor

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funding and thus poor educational infrastructures, inadequate classrooms, teaching aids
(projectors, Computers, Laboratories and libraries), lack of quality teachers and poor /
polluted learning environment. In addition to these inadequacies, our school system is
plagued with numerous social vices such as examination malpractices, cultism,
hooliganism and corruption, but for meaningful development to take place in the
educational sector; the root problems need to be clearly known and re-addressed.

It is quite unfortunate that the primary and secondary levels, which are
foundational, are the most heat. Teboho (2000), reports that “In 1997 the Federal Minister
of Education, following a nation -wide tour of the schools, stated that the basic
infrastructure in schools such as classrooms, laboratories, workshops, sporting facilities,
equipment, libraries were in a state of total decay. The physical condition of most schools
was reported to be pathetic.” This report highlights symptoms of a root problem, non
implementation of policy and lack of funding. Lack of qualitative teachers, social vices,
the absence of infrastructure and the necessary things needed to aid learning are only
symptoms of a root problem.

It will not be out of place to therefore conclude that the problems are unlimited,
but can majorly be classified as thus: lack of proper implementation of good educational
policies as contained in the Nation Policy of Education and Lack of proper funding

Lack of Proper Implementation of good Educational Policies

A good look at the National Policy of Education (NPE), undoubtedly shows that
Nigeria through different times has come up with very good educational policies, yet the
system has remained backward due to poor implementation of this policies. Some of
these objectives include: the inculcation of permanent and functional literacy and
numeracy, providing the individual the technical knowledge and skills for agriculture,
industrial, commercial and economic development e.t.c. How successful has Nigeria been
in achieving these objectives. The necessary environment to enable the policies to work is
not created. Many factors have been responsible for this. Imam (2012), points that “…it
is essential that account is taken of political, economic and socio-cultural factors in
examining nations’ educational policies …Colonialism and Post-colonialism is the
conceptual framework which makes visible the legacy of British colonial
educational policy, the close alignment of Nigeria’s educational policy’s
philosophy of ‘the right of all people to education, material and cultural well-being by
seeking to change the way people think, and the way they behave’, to reflect the dynamic
process of nation building that is continually being modified by new policy demands.”

Factors such as changed in government, socio-economic and cultural factors

contribute in the abolition of some good policies, not to bring to attention selfish and
political prejudice that have significantly influenced the policies negatively also. Lack of

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creating an enabling environment for the implementation of good educational policies
posed a serious challenge to the growth of education

Lack of adequate funding

It is often said that “food wey sweet, na money kill lam.” This therefore suggests that
funding is critical to the success of any project. A look at Nigeria’s annual budgetary
allocation and capital expenditure shows that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)
has been committing a proportion of her financial resources to the growth of economic,
social and community services. It is evident that the Federal Government’s budgetary
allocation to the educational sector between 2001 and 2008 shows that less than ten
percent of funds expended on these services during this period was on education.
Education received the least allocation in the budget [ CITATION Ife13 \l 1033 ].

Abiodun (2013), further adds that “on the 2013 budgetary allocation to the
education sector is higher than those of other sectors, it still falls below the recommended
standard. While UNESCO recommended that 26% of the total budget be assigned to
education, the N426.53billion allocated to the sector takes only 8.67% of the proposed
total budget of N4.92trillion.The management of primary, secondary and tertiary
institutions in Nigeria are in consensus that these institutions are under-funded. Evidence
exists pointing to the degree of dilapidation that characterizes the primary and secondary
school buildings in various parts of the country. If funds channeled into these institutions
are properly managed and utilized efficiently it would improve the educational sector and
help check the drop–out syndrome.

Abiodun (2013), adds a new dimension to the issue of funding. The insufficient
fund made available is also mismanaged, not channeled to the right coffers and not even
accounted for. Money is allocated to the sector is said to be missing with no one to be
held responsible, because this money is not monitored. There is no evaluation to know
whether the project intended to be achieved is followed to the later.

A Way forward

It is often very easy to quickly begin to make suggestions on what government

should do, and end up neglecting what other educational stakeholders should do. If we
geniuely wish to transform the education sector, all hands must be on desk. It is a
corporate responsibility where all must play their part well. “All the stakeholders in the
education industry Government, private school owners, school heads, parents and
students are joint collaborators in the decline observed in the educational standard in the
country today, with the government playing a leading role” [ CITATION Odi07 \l 1033 ].

The government is responsible for adequately providing fund, the teachers are to
discharge their responsibility for creating and enacting the learning experience, parents

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are to avail their wards and supplement the effort of the teachers, and the students/pupil
are to be open to the learning experience.

This paper wishes to therefore suggest that adequate funding should be provided
for the educational sector. Government at all levels must commit vast resources towards
the school infrastructures and teachers welfare. The fund should be supervised,
accounted, monitored and appropriated to the right channel to the extent that the
achievement of worthwhile knowledge can be guaranteed.

Resolute efforts towards a holistic review of our Education policy to suit the
contemporary needs of our country, and necessary measures for implementation and
stability of policies that are good and are in line with our norms and values, so that they
would be affected by change of government and selfish individuals.

The story of the how backward Nigeria is as a result of the lost focus on technical
education needs to be revisited. It is pathetic to know that Nigeria is so industrially
backward that she imports tooth-pick, needle and threads from other countries that use to
be far behind. The story would have been different if our technical schools were up in
standards and shapes. There is therefore a need to revisit the goals of technical education.
The technical schools symbolized the future of developmental growth of Nigeria
technologically. As a matter of fact, our consciousness of industrial and mechanical
elements as critical agents of industrialization will be transformed.

Conclusion

It is high time we put our selfishness and political prejudices and seek to achieve
our educational objectives. It is everyone’s responsibility, and all hands must be on desk.
The root problems should be dealt with rather than only struggling with the symptoms.

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 Reference
Abiodun, B. K. (2013, February 14). Low Level Of Education In Nigeria: Causes And Solution.
Retrieved February 22, 2015, from Information Nigeria:
http://www.informationng.com/2013/02/low-level-of-education-in-nigeria-causes-and-
solution.html

Ifenkwe, G. (2013). Educational development in Nigeria: Challenges and prospects in the 21st
century. Universal Journal of Education and General Studies , 2(1), 007-014.

Imam, H. (2012). Educational Policy in Nigeria from the Colonial Era to the Post-Independence
Period. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION , 181-204.

Odia, L. O., & Omofonmwan, S. (2007). Educational System in Nigeria Problems and Prospects.
Journal of Social Science , 14 (1), 81-86.

Teboho, M. (2000). NIGERIA EDUCATION SECTOR ANALYSIS: AN ANALYTICAL SYNTHESIS OF

PERFORMANCE AND ISSUES. New York: New York University.