Concerns are growing over the declining quality of education in Nigeria
Education sector stakeholders have raised concerns about what they say is the deteriorating quality of education in Nigeria, despite it playing a central role in national development.
The National Accountability Summit (NAS) 2024, organized by the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) under the theme “Enhancing Accountability: Limiting Vulnerabilities,” highlighted several challenges that undermine educational standards. These include the proliferation of poorly trained teachers, outdated curricula and the lack of modern teaching tools and resources.
A communiqué issued at the end of the summit showed that access to education remains a major challenge, particularly for girls and vulnerable groups in marginalized and rural communities. Stakeholders identified societal norms, early marriages, cultural barriers and security challenges as key barriers to inclusive education.
Concerns have also been raised about the government’s low allocation to education, which falls far short of the 15-20% of the national budget recommended by UNESCO. Stakeholders complained about the sector’s chronic underfunding, which has led to infrastructure decay, a lack of teaching materials and inadequate investment in teacher training and recruitment.
The summit called for an increase in the education budget, accompanied by the introduction of effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the allocated funds are used wisely to improve educational outcomes.
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The key reforms recommended include improving teacher training, ensuring that the curriculum meets current realities and providing quality infrastructure.
Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of increasing community advocacy and public education to challenge harmful social norms that prevent girls and vulnerable groups from accessing education. They called on the government to take measures that target socio-cultural barriers to promote inclusion.
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In addition to education, the summit also discussed critical issues around availability, financing, accessibility, affordability and retention in the healthcare sector. Participants highlighted the need for a comprehensive health workforce retention strategy that combines financial incentives with improved working conditions and infrastructure.
The summit underscored that combating the “Japa syndrome” – the tendency for skilled professionals to migrate abroad for better opportunities – requires creating an environment in which health workers can thrive and remain motivated to serve locally.