Education
Nigeria ’ s Educational System – Why the Eagle Isn ’ t Flying
Chikodiri Nwangwu
Education is widely acknowledged as the bedrock of national development . However , education in sub-Saharan Africa is generally in the doldrums . The region lags behind in access to quality education , as one-fifth of children aged 6 – 11 and one-third of youths aged 12 – 14 are out of school . Based on demographic features , mainly population and landmass , Nigeria is the ensemble of major obstacles bedevilling access to quality education in sub-Saharan Africa . Its stated philosophy of education is to develop a sound and effective citizenry that is fully integrated into the community and one that is provided with equal access to educational opportunities at primary , secondary , and tertiary levels . These lofty ideals are encapsulated in the 2013 National Policy on Education , the expression of the Nigerian education system that remains encumbered by a plethora of obstacles that are impeding the quality of , and access to , education .
There is no gainsaying the fact that the quality of education in Nigeria is far below domestic expectations and lags behind global rankings . Using digital literacy , interpersonal skills , critical and creative thinking capabilities , among others , the 2019 Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum ranks Nigeria ’ s quality of education 116th out of 140 countries surveyed . The reasons for the poor state of Nigeria ’ s education are numerous .
A central factor contributing to the poor quality of education in Nigeria is the paucity of funding . With respect to the 2021 national budget , allocation to education stands at 5.68 per cent . This is far below the international benchmark of 20 per cent of public expenditure needed to bridge education funding gaps in the country . Nigeria is the only E-9 ( a forum of nine countries that aims at achieving UNESCO ’ s Education For All initiative ) and D-8 ( an organisation for development cooperation among predominantly Islamic countries ) member-state with less than
37