Education
Education Sector and Nigeria’s Revolving Underdevelopment Doors
By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi
One recent occurrence that typifies the nation’s education sector as an area in urgent need of help is the current shoddy state of Ologbo Primary and Secondary Schools, Ologbo, Obarentin community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, formerly called Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria Primary and Secondary School, Ologbo.
In addition to signalling the gory tale of poor leadership, neglect and outright abandonment of responsibility by the Edo State government, the pictures and accompanying commentaries diverted attention from real threat deserving of healthy and appropriate fear, the federal government’s protracted inability to resolve their impasse with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). It is more than anything else the ugly awareness at the school sowed confusion that portrays the Edo state as a state where leadership has drained people’s will and is now left with weakened rational character.
Expectedly also, many have risen in staunch defence of the Governor; saying that blame in the present circumstance may not be the smart thing to do; for when the verdict is passed on someone, it blocks the possibility of knowing who the person is and definitely creates biases, sentiments, prejudice, and also makes the mind become impervious and closed towards either seeing the good sides of the person or the bad sides of the person.
To others, the Governor should in the interim be excused because when it comes to making decisions or pursuing purposeful initiatives, leaders naturally fall victim to the trap of unexpected limitations such as inadequate funds among others.
To the rest, achieving sustainable development in a sector such as education is a systemic thing that takes time. Therefore, the Governor needs to be allowed more time to perform before subjecting his performance to critical scrutiny.
Whatever the true position may be, the truth is this piece’s latest condemnation of Governor Obaseki’s poor leadership habit is both natural, neutral and perceptual.
The reason is simple. Experience via observation has shown that in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta region, leaders are never mentally prepared for the task of leadership. They seem to forget that the more preparation, planning and activation of the execution process they make, the better they perform in the task of leadership.
Supporting the above assertion is the awareness that when one spends time thinking about how we approach leadership in Nigeria and asks important questions about how leaders in Nigeria set their priorities, time and funds, it becomes easy to situate the fact that the hallmark of poor performance in Nigeria is not Obaseki specific.
Take, as an illustration, a while ago, in a particular intervention, this author highlighted pictures of a similar shoddy state and wicked neglect of Oyoko Primary School, Abavo, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta state.
Like the Ologbo Primary and secondary schools situation, the referenced piece underlined disturbing pictures which showed visibly distressed structures with fallen ceilings, windows and doors. The piece concluded by concluding that from the pictures and accompanying commentaries, it cannot be characterized as an overstatement to describe such a ‘scene’ as deplorable, dehumanizing, troubling, in bad light bracingly in contravention of the international best standards and most importantly, a reality that all well-meaning Deltans including our dear Governor should worry about.
Broadly speaking, there are so many reasons why this author is particularly interested in bringing to the fore these poor courses of action/ inaction chosen ahead of logic by the public authority to address the nation’s education sector; their definition of the problem, the goals to be achieved, or the means chose to address the problems and to achieve the goals.
By analysing each of these elements, in turn, it becomes easy to understand the essential ingredients that made great nations what they are today, as well as answer questions as to why others, such as Nigeria, are unsuccessful.
To explain this point, it is believed that policies, plans and strategies are fundamental to the progress and development of countries, yet, right from independence, the problem with education in the country very much lies with underfunding, payment of lip service to, and inconsistency in policies driven by several panels set up by the government to recommend measures to enhance the quality of education in the country. This problem is not so much with the recommendations of the various panels but their poor implementation by those entrusted to do so.
If not bad policy and poor implementation, how do we explain governments’ inability to heed the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) budgetary recommendation on education? What other expression shall we say of a country’s education where researches are not adequately funded and yet, the President allowed hundreds of millions to go into replacing his plates and cutlery yearly? And what shall we expect from an educational ministry headed by someone who is not an educationist? This may however not be the only explanation.
As to what should be done, we must recognize two realities.
First and very fundamental, that is like in a business where no organization can grow consistently faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement such growth. likewise, we must admit that with the education sector’s present state, it will be difficult if not impossible to develop disruptive or constructive concepts that can shatter set patterns of thinking and provide solutions to the nagging challenges in the country until policymakers consider education as the bedrock of development; that with sound educational institutions, a country is as good as made -as the institutions will turn out all rounded manpower to continue with the development of a hyper-modern society driven by well thought out ideas, policies, programmes and projects. But such a tendency is clearly different here.
Secondly, policymakers must admit the fact that our children enjoy the right to education as recognized by a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, as well as the progressive introduction of free higher education/obligation to develop equitable access to higher education.
The nation must stop playing ‘casino’ with funding of the sector, and in its place, come to the realization that it is our collective responsibility to ensure that our schools work and our children are properly educated at the right time and place.
As to closing the nation’s revolving underdevelopment door, there is an urgent need to rework the university system to meet the manpower demand by the industrial sector as a strategic consequence of this failure has made Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions in the country continue to turn out, every year several thousands of graduates that the industry does not need. This is made worse by the fact that there is a nation where uncalculated importance is attached to the possession of university degrees as against the possession of skills necessary for self-reliance and national development.
Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), a Lagos-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). He can be reached via Je*********@***oo.com/08032725374
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced an extension to the deadline for its student loan application portal following a notable rise in nationwide interest driven by ongoing awareness campaigns.
In a Monday statement signed by Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, the extension was necessitated after a public notice issued last week announcing the closure of the application portal on February 27, 2026.
Mrs Oluwatuyi expressed that the extension was approved due to strong responses from students and key stakeholders across the country, alongside a surge in applications and enquiries.
She stated that the extension window will allow additional time for eligible students to complete their submissions, stressing that further decisions regarding the timeline will be communicated by management in due course.
She wrote, “According to NELFUND, the extension is intended to support several categories of applicants, including students who require more time to complete their applications, prospective applicants who only recently learned about the scheme through nationwide sensitisation programmes, and institutions that have just begun the 2025/2026 academic session.
“It will also accommodate institutions that are yet to submit their verified student lists.”
The chief executive of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to higher education financing, explaining that the sensitisation activities carried out across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have significantly increased awareness and participation in the programme.
“In line with the fund’s mandate to expand access to tertiary education funding, the extension was approved to ensure all eligible students are given a fair opportunity to apply.
“NELFUND also advised institutions that have not yet commenced the 2025/2026 academic session to submit a formal request for an extension along with their approved academic calendar for review,” he stated.
“Students are encouraged to make use of the extended period to complete their applications through the official NELFUND portal before the application window eventually closes.
“The fund reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the delivery of sustainable student financing initiatives aimed at removing financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria,” he added.
NELFUND charges students and members of the public to contact NELFUND via email at in**@******ov.ng or visit its official social media platforms for further enquiries.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Up to $2,500 in scholarship support has been provided by Prodigy Finance for 10 African students, alongside application fee reimbursement for 100 applicants applying through NovaGrad, the education access platform of Prodigy Finance.
This scholarship includes two forms of support, from applying to enrolment, both accessed through NovaGrad.
First, tuition and living expense support of up to $2,500 per student for 10 students, where financial support clearly bridges the gap between receiving an offer and being able to enrol.
Awards are limited, and competitive students who demonstrate strong merit and genuine financial need, have a realistic shortlist of universities, and can submit a complete application through NovaGrad within the stated deadlines will be given priority. Shortlisted applicants may be asked to provide additional documentation to confirm eligibility and reimbursement details before support is issued.
Second, application fee support, providing application fee reimbursement up to $200 per student for students who submit their university applications through NovaGrad.
A total of 100 students will be selected for this opportunity. This support is issued as a reimbursement once the application submission is verified and accepted via the platform.
Applications submitted outside NovaGrad do not qualify. Students register or log in on NovaGrad, enter a valid waiver code if applicable, submit their university application via NovaGrad, and once verified, the reimbursement is processed.
Prodigy Finance has supported postgraduate students heading to some of the world’s leading universities for years. Its scholarship programmes are focused on where funding and guidance can make the biggest difference, and that focus shifts year to year, from India and Latin America to Africa, as well as established global markets.
“African students have consistently demonstrated exceptional ambition and academic strength. Over the years, we have seen students from across the continent succeed at some of the world’s top institutions.
“This scholarship gives them a focused opportunity, and NovaGrad helps bring clarity to every step around it,” the Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, Sonal Kapoor, said.
Also commenting, the spokesperson for NovaGrad, Ms Mariana Alcocer, said, “African students are among the most talented we see, yet many still lack the exposure or networks that help others access global education. This programme is about recognising that talent and creating a pathway forward.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Live-learning and creator-economy platform, Hallos, as part of its expansion drive, has unveiled plans to equip millions of youths and women with digital skills and monetisation opportunities through the Learning247 Hallos Summit, aimed at integrating Nigeria’s South-East into the rapidly expanding global creator economy.
At a sensitisation and stakeholder engagement forum in Enugu, the organisation also called for stronger strategic partnerships with government agencies, educational institutions, development organisations, media houses and private-sector stakeholders to advance the creator economy as a credible engine for mass employment, youth prosperity and inclusive economic growth.
The chief executive of Hallos, Mr Alexander Oseji Uzoma, renewed the call for increased investment in internet penetration, reliable power supply, digital infrastructure, creative studios and youth-focused innovation hubs across Nigeria, especially the South-East.
Describing the creator economy as one of the most accessible and scalable employment frontiers globally, he noted that with basic tools such as a smartphone, internet access and creative skills, young people can build audiences, monetise knowledge and generate sustainable income without heavy capital investment or long career pathways.
According to Mr Uzoma, the creator economy offers low-barrier entry into diverse professions, including content creation, social media influencing, live tutoring and digital coaching, video production, podcasting, graphic design, music and performance arts, digital marketing, merchandise design, e-commerce and community management. These activities support a broader value chain spanning production, distribution, technology and management.
The Hallos co-founder also explained that global projections place the creator economy in the hundreds of billions of dollars, with millions of creators worldwide earning sustainable incomes, stressing that Hallos is focused on localising these opportunities to ensure African youths can participate meaningfully and compete globally.
He further noted that Hallos operates a live-learning and creator-focused platform that integrates education, gamified quizzes, merchandising and voluntary fan donations into a single ecosystem. Through the platform, creators can host live learning sessions and masterclasses, earn from quizzes and challenges, sell branded merchandise, receive voluntary donations, build communities around their expertise and organise monetisable podcasts.
Mr Uzoma said the creator economy, driven by social media platforms, streaming services, digital commerce and content monetisation tools, has evolved into a major global industry capable of generating wealth, creating jobs and expanding export earnings.
He stressed that social media should no longer be viewed as a recreational space but as a viable business environment for wealth creation.
“The focus should not just be on content creation alone but on building businesses around content. It is about value creation and structured digital entrepreneurship,” he said.
He disclosed that Hallos intends to reach about 10 million youths nationwide, with over 5,000 already engaged across its programmes, while placing strong emphasis on bridging the gender gap by empowering women and girls through targeted digital training, mentorship and access to monetisation platforms.
As the digital economy continues to expand, Hallos said the creator economy stands out as a practical and scalable solution to youth unemployment, offering low entry barriers and global earning potential.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the gap between talent and income, enabling young Africans to earn well above minimum wage through creativity, knowledge and structured participation in the global digital economy.
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