By Jamiu Funmilayo
Education is the foundation upon which we build our future,” Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation and a former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Economy once stated.
Nothing can be farther than the truth with that truism as Nigerians we have all experienced the highs and lows of our education system. From overcrowded classrooms to inadequate resources, it is clear that the educational sector faces significant challenges. But amidst these difficulties, there are opportunities waiting to be seized.
Education is the foundation of any prosperous nation. It drives economic growth, fosters social development, and ensures future stability. Yet, in Nigeria, the education system is being systematically dismantled — not just by neglect but by deliberate actions of those in power who benefit from keeping the masses uneducated.
Nigeria’s education sector is one of the worst in Africa, despite the country’s vast natural and human resources. According to UNICEF, 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5–14 are out of school, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of out-of-school children globally.
The situation is worse in the northern states, where socio-cultural norms, poverty, and insurgency have crippled access to formal education, significantly hindering school attendance, especially for girls. Schools in rural and conflict-affected areas lack basic infrastructure, and many students learn under trees or in dilapidated classrooms with no chairs, textbooks, or teachers.
While lack of funding, insecurity, and poor infrastructure are significant problems, the more sinister reality is that some political leaders and elites intentionally sabotage the education system to maintain control over the populace
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” However, Nigeria’s education sector remains in crisis, with systemic neglect, underfunding, and insecurity keeping millions out of school.
Achieving SDG 4 requires urgent intervention to address these challenges. Increased funding, improved policies, safe learning environments, and community-driven initiatives are essential to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education. Initiatives like the Shades of Us Scholarships for Excellence contribute to this goal by providing financial support to brilliant but underserved students and breaking down barriers to education. By investing in young minds today, we can secure a future where education is truly a right, not a privilege.
The journey to SDG 4 is long, but with collective action, Nigeria can move closer to a future where education empowers every citizen. However, real change must come from within. If Nigerians do not fight for their education system, those in power will continue to dismantle it for their gain.
The Nigerian education system is not just failing due to neglect — it is being deliberately destroyed by state actors who profit from an uneducated population. Education is power, and those in power fear an educated society. It is time for Nigerians to demand change, hold leaders accountable, and push for a revolution in the education sector.
If education is truly the key to success, then we must ensure that every Nigerian child has access to the key that will unlock their future.
“Books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress the truth,” Noble Laureate Wole Soyinka, has warned. And this is a warning the Nigerian State ought to heed,
Funmilayo is of the Department of Mass Communication, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State and writes from [email protected]