Education in Nigeria
[2] The local authorities take responsibility for implementing state-controlled policy regarding public education and state schools.
[4] Nigeria's federal government has been dominated by instability since declaring independence from Britain, and as a result, a unified set of education policies is yet to be successfully implemented.
This scheme is monitored by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, and has made it "free", "compulsory" and a "right" of every child.
Admission is based on merit, determined by the National Common Entrance Examination taken by all final year elementary school pupils.
[31] Tuition and fees are relatively low as compared to private schools, approximately twenty-five thousand naira because partial funding comes from the Federal Government.
[22] The Federal schools generally have good reputations and tend to be viewed as elite owing to their admissions being based on annual national merit exams.
[34] Although, education is supposed to be free in the majority of the state-owned institutions, students are required to purchase books, uniforms and pay for miscellaneous things costing them an average of fifty thousand naira in one academic year.
[35] Some state-owned secondary schools were once regarded as elite colleges because of the historically high educational standard and alumni who have become prominent citizens and successful in various careers.
As a result, many state secondary schools in Nigeria are served with unqualified teachers who end up not being able to properly educate or motivate their students.
As a result of larger budgets, these institutions are able to pay better salaries and attract teachers possessing at least a bachelor's degree in a specific course area and are sometimes supported with continuing education of workshops or short-term programs on a regular basis.
IJMB is a national educational programme approved by the Federal Government, coordinated nationwide by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with different affiliated Study Centres across the country.
The Federal Executive Council of the President Muhammadu Buhari government, approved the establishment of 20 new private universities on February 3, 2021, in Nigeria.
First year entry requirements into most universities in Nigeria include: Minimum of SSCE/GCE Ordinary Level Credits at maximum of two sittings; Minimum cut-off marks score in Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) entrance examination of 180 and above out of a maximum of 400 marks are required.
They were established primarily to meet a need for qualified personnel in Nigeria and to set basic standards for university education.
[22] The third generation universities were established between 1980 and early 1990 to address special areas of Technological and Agricultural demand response to a nationally acclaimed need for skilled manpower.
[66] In the early 1980s, as a result of high unemployment rates for school graduates, the Nigerian government placed a new emphasis on making vocational programs available to students.
Current challenges for the enforcement of these systems includes a shortage of teachers, poor statistics on the labour market needs, and outdated curriculum and technology at vocational training centers.
[68] In addition to institutional forms of vocational education, the Nigerian government allows and encourages participation in apprenticeships.
[66] While efforts are being made to improve the quality and availability of vocational education, many policy oriented approaches have been blocked by a small number of politicians.
[69] The failures to properly implement a national approach to worker's education has roots in the political instability of the country.
To this end, many academics have questioned if politicians are attempting to intentionally subjugate the working class through a lack of educational breadth.
In addition to vocational apprenticeships, the Nigerian government and various NGOs have introduced communal based strategies for increasing literacy rates among both children and adults.
This population is in need of this education as inmates are not exposed to the standard methods of TV and print media campaigns addressing the issue.
However, increasing academic movements are aiming to contextualize and build upon these western based ideals for the sake of social betterment in Nigeria, as well as developing nations around the world.
A positive correlation exists between the enrollment of girls in primary school and the gross national product and life expectancy.
There is a significant bias against female involvement in specific academic disciplines, with studies showing the existence of gender-based stereotyping of students by teachers in secondary schools.
[81] GEP3-CTP was a two-year unconditional cash transfer programme (September 2014 - August 2016) with primary objective of increasing girls' enrolment, retention and completion of basic education in selected schools in Niger and Sokoto States.
[85] The low literacy rate in Nigeria is exacerbated by regional disparities especially in the North-East and North-West, which has the highest numbers of out-of-school children, primarily due to poverty, insecurity, and cultural factors like child marriage and religious extremism.
Efforts to improve literacy are ongoing, with stakeholders advocating for policies that enhance multilingual education and access to resources like books and libraries.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has prioritized this issue, with policies aimed at enhancing functional literacy and creating equitable access to education for all citizens.
