Education in Nigeria is in a Crisis
Author: Sunkanmi Ajewole
Education in Nigeria is not broken, it is bleeding. And the silence around it is deafening.
We are not saying our students are lazy or our teachers are unworthy. We are saying the system is rigged against them. The effort poured into learning and teaching is real but the outcomes are heartbreakingly hollow. It is not a lack of will, it is a lack of structure, support and sincerity.
In 2026, Nigeria allocated a record ₦3.52 trillion to education. On paper, this is progress but in deep reality, it is a drop in the ocean of decades-long neglect. Nigeria falls short of the UNESCO’s recommendation of 15 to 20% of national budgets to go to education. Now, the consequences are everywhere.
Let’s talk about what those consequences look like;
School children still sit under trees to learn. Classrooms lack toilets, libraries and laboratories. Over 10.5 million children between the age of 5 and 14 are out of school. Another 20 million are not receiving formal basic education.
The education crisis becomes worse in the Northern part of Nigeria, where about 80% of out-of-school children reside. In some states, fewer than half of girls attend primary school. The inequality is not only regional, it is generational.
Teachers, who are the backbone of the education system, are stretched thin. The pupil-teacher ratio often falls far below the 1:25 UNESCO benchmark. Many educators are underpaid, undertrained and expected to teach subjects like AI and robotics without textbooks, electricity or even basic digital tools.
When students graduate, they face a new wall in unemployment. The curriculum remains outdated, disconnected from the 21st-century job market. In 2025, youth unemployment hovered around 53%. We are producing graduates who cannot be absorbed by the economy. This is not education; it is betrayal to our future.
Security adds another layer of trauma. Kidnappings, attacks on school infrastructure and unsafe learning environments have made education a dangerous pursuit. Parents hesitate to send their children to school. Children fear going. The classroom, once a place of hope now feels like a battlefield.
How has the government responded?
The government, to its credit, has introduced reforms; The 2025/2026 curriculum emphasizes digital literacy, vocational skills and entrepreneurship. Subject loads have been trimmed significantly. Students are now expected to master at least one trade and one digital skill. A new Learner Identification Number (LIN) tracks progress. The Junior WAEC is being phased out in favor of continuous assessment.
However, reforms on paper are not reforms in practice. Teachers are asked to teach AI without training, textbooks or instructional materials. Schools without electricity are expected to deliver digital literacy. Private schools in cities adapt quickly, teaching robotics and coding, while schools in rural areas fall further behind. The divide grows wider; a two-class education system, one for the privileged and the other for the ‘almost forgotten’.
So where do we go from here?
Education is not just about literacy; it is about citizenship. It is about raising a generation that knows its rights, questions power and shapes its future. Civic initiatives like GovernMEND are stepping in where policy falters, teaching young Nigerians that education is not complete until it empowers them to participate in governance and demand accountability.
The classroom is crying. The question is: will Nigeria listen before the silence becomes permanent or will the next generation turn that silence into a roar?
Next Wednesday, we ask: what happens when the students stop waiting for change and start demanding it?
