Education deserves more than lip service

The Nigerian government's current stance on education, while perhaps unintended, is increasingly perceived as both deeply concerning and counterproductive. Under President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, there have been hopeful words and ambitious promises. Yet in practice, education appears to be slipping down the priority list, and the implications of this trend cannot be overstated.

The recent statement by the President’s Chief of Staff, suggesting that the government can no longer afford to fund quality education, has struck a nerve with many Nigerians. It reflects a growing anxiety that education, long recognised as a critical driver of development, is being neglected at a time when national investment in human capital is most needed.

The Nigerian Constitution, in Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), clearly places a duty on the government to provide equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. This is not a favour to the people; it is a constitutional responsibility. To fall short of this duty is not only a legal oversight, but also a moral failing.

Unfortunately, that failure is becoming difficult to deny. The federal allocation to education in the 2025 national budget is just 7.3 per cent, down from an already inadequate 7.9 per cent in 2024. This figure stands in stark contrast to countries such as Tunisia and South Africa, which commit 20 per cent and 18 per cent respectively to education. Even small island nations like Seychelles have achieved near-universal literacy by placing education at the heart of national policy. Nigeria, by comparison, appears hesitant to match ambition with funding.

More troubling still is the internal contradiction within current education policy. While citing a lack of resources, the government continues to announce the creation of new universities, upgrade existing polytechnics, and explore the phasing out of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), a body widely regarded as one of the most effective mechanisms for supporting higher education in the country.

This mixed messaging creates confusion and raises questions about long-term planning. Expanding the number of institutions without a sustainable financing model does not solve the problem, it compounds it. If we cannot adequately fund the universities we already have, what sense does it make to create more?

Meanwhile, recent increases in federal university tuition fees risk pushing higher education further out of reach for millions of Nigerians, especially those living below the poverty line. While the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is a step in the right direction, its accessibility and implementation remain unclear, and too many young people are left wondering how they will fund their dreams.

The impact of this disconnect is plain to see. UNICEF estimates that over 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, the highest number globally. In many rural areas, lessons are still conducted under trees. In cities, school overcrowding and high fees are widespread. Our classrooms tell the story of a nation in urgent need of direction.

The situation is no less dire for those tasked with educating the next generation. Teachers remain underpaid and often undervalued. The profession, once a cornerstone of national pride, is no longer attracting the best and brightest. Until we restore dignity to teaching, we risk perpetuating a system where the least prepared are entrusted with preparing the future.

This is a moment of reckoning. President Tinubu has the opportunity to match his rhetoric with meaningful action. He must commit to increasing the education budget to at least 15 per cent of total national spending. Rather than scrapping TETFund, government should bolster it and ensure transparency in its operations. He must give priority to science, technology, and teacher education, and urgently declare a national emergency on basic education. A portion of the savings from fuel subsidy reforms and currency floatation should be reinvested directly into education infrastructure and access.

It must be said: education is not merely one sector among many. It is the foundation upon which every other aspect of national development rests. Without an educated populace, health systems falter, infrastructure crumbles, and economies fail to compete. Nigeria’s current ranking of 124th globally in education, and 12th in Africa, is not inevitable. It is the result of choices made and priorities set.

There is still time to reverse this course. But delay will deepen inequality, entrench poverty, and squander the talents of an entire generation. The President must now lead with purpose and clarity. If we are to build a nation fit for the 21st century, we must invest in its people, starting with their minds.

To neglect education is to mortgage the future. To support it is to secure it. The choice, and the legacy, now rests with this administration.