Teacher
Reforms
Nigeria:
The
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Education
InReview
Colonial
Of
Nigeria's educational system has undergone a remarkable transformation since the country gained
independence in 1960. Prior to this, the primary form of education was provided by missionary
schools run by Christian Churches and Muslim clerics, which placed an emphasis on religious and
traditional forms of education, but lacked quality and was poorly funded.
In response, the Nigerian government began to develop and formalize the educational system,
recognizing the importance of education in driving economic growth and providing people with
better job opportunities. This effort was further bolstered in 1974 with the formation of the Federal
Ministry of Education, which sought to improve and expand both secondary and tertiary educational
institutions. During the Ogbeni Adekunle period (~1957 to 1964), a major shift was made to
prioritize both primary and secondary education.
The late 1970s to early 1980s saw a shift from traditional to the modern form of education, with the
introduction of the 6-3-3-4-educational system, which consisted of 6 years in primary school, 3 years
in junior secondary school, 3 years in senior secondary school, and 4 years of university. This system
was adapted until the Nigerian government re-introduced the Universal Basic Education (UBE)
scheme, which aimed to provide free primary and junior secondary education to all eligible students.
However, the UBE suffered from a lack of adequate budget, poor quality of teaching, and inadequate
facilities. To address these issues, the Nigerian government implemented the 2006 National Policy
on Education, which has helped streamline compulsory education and implement reforms to
improve the quality of schools in the country.
Despite these efforts, the Nigerian educational system still faces challenges such as inequality,
inadequate infrastructure, and low quality of instruction. Nevertheless, the Nigerian government
continues to strive for a better educational system, and has made significant progress in recent
years.