Education
Education Takes a Hit From the Covid Crisis
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria’s labour market had been plagued with precarity and informality. With over 30 million youths (people aged between 15 and 29 years of age) projected to enter the labour market in 2021 (which accounts for over 53% of that age group), the COVID crisis couldn’t have hit at a worse time.
The impact of COVID-19 felt on the labour market is not without precedent for Nigeria’s young workers. At the onset of the oil recession in 2016, young people entering the labour market in Nigeria faced similar hardships.
In consequence, a significant number of young Nigeria opted – or were compelled – to abandon their schooling in favour of work. At the onset of the oil recession – much like what happened at the onset of the COVID crisis – the percentage of young people in Nigeria who entered the labour market jumped by over 12%.
While working certainly can provide short-term relief during a crisis, unfortunately, this comes to the detriment of Nigeria’s already low human capital. The human capital index (or HCI), as defined by the World Bank, aims to quantify the effects that education and health have on the productivity of the next generation of workers.
Over the last four years, Nigeria’s human capital index has remained at a steady and concerning 0.35%. To offer a comparison, this score ranks Nigeria slightly below Afghanistan which comes in at 0.4 and significantly lower than leading countries such as Singapore and Australia whose scores reach above 0.9%.
With so many young Nigerians being forced – for all intents and purposes – to forego their education in exchange for immediate economic relief in precarious low-paying jobs, the country is facing an uphill battle in terms of improving working conditions, seeing a rise in salaries and a decrease in long-term unemployment. All trends point to the fact that technology is a good career path. But entering this field – much less excelling in it – requires a certain level of education that young Nigerians are being deprived of.
This causal chain can snowball quickly as the country continues to produce a relatively underqualified workforce, the better-paying jobs will continue to go elsewhere. And while the oil and gas production career path certainly has its benefits, as the oil recession of 2016 showed us, the field is vulnerable to rapid and wild fluctuations.
Whereas receiving a quality secondary education will broaden one’s scope of work options, raise their standard of living and those around them, and give them the arms to combat against potential recessions and crises, without an education, the chances of these crises having lingering effects is increased dramatically – if not outright guaranteed.
Due, in part, to the COVID-19 crisis, economists are predicting that Nigeria is headed for its worst recession in 40 years. A staggering 20 million Nigerians are expected to fall below the poverty line in 2022.
The GDP is projected to dip, as well, which would mean a significant loss in government revenue. This, in turn, would likely lead to cuts in both education and the health care system. And the snowball gets bigger and bigger and bigger.
Despite the pessimistic projections, government officials such as Shubham Chauduri, the World Bank’s County Director for Nigeria, is quick to point out that initiatives have been put in place, and we are already seeing positive results.
In 2021, The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiated a weakening of the official exchange rate for the naira. This was done in a concerted effort to try to converge the official rate with that of the NAFEX (the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Rate).
“We acknowledge the steps to reform exchange rates,” said Shubham Chaudhuri. “But that’s one part of it.”
Other measures that have already been implemented include the introduction of a market-based pricing policy for petrol; the reduction and potential elimination of subsidies for electricity; and the adjustment of tariffs.
The projected savings these measures would mean for the government are meant to allow Nigeria to redirect its resources toward COVID-19 response and relief. The sooner we get through the crisis, the sooner those resources can be reallocated. To where, and to what end remains to be decided.
If ever we can look at this crisis and see a silver lining it would be that the dire circumstances and woeful projections are forcing officials to take practical actions – many of which have been a long time coming.
Nigeria’s farmers are a high priority in the current wave of economic reforms. Some notable examples of initiatives that have begun to be rolled out include:
- Additional funds allocated to the research of improved crop and livestock varieties
- Additional funds released to help support the infrastructure associated with farming – this includes storage, transport, and market access.
While these initiatives are likely to yield long-term benefits, there is potentially no greater long-term return on investment than that which comes from investing in education. For the time being, however – much like in prior crises – education is being made to take a back seat.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government announces the introduction of a National Textbook Ranking System for Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across the country as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen quality assurance and standardisation in Nigeria’s education sector.
The development was disclosed in a Monday statement signed by Mrs Folasade Boriowo, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, noting that the initiative is designed to address the growing proliferation of textbooks in schools and ensure that only high-quality, curriculum-compliant learning materials are approved for classroom use.
The Implementation of the National Textbook Ranking System will commence from the September 2026 academic session, following the establishment of the Standing Subject Committees and completion of the evaluation framework.
The statement disclosed that the Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, alongside the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suiwaba Sai’d Ahmad, stated that under the new system, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to exercise its statutory authority to approve textbooks for use in Nigerian schools.
The Ministry explained that the textbooks will now be ranked through a structured national evaluation process to determine the most suitable and highest-quality options for each subject and level of education.
The statement reads, “As part of the reform, NERDC will establish Standing Subject Committees comprising experts in relevant subject areas. These committees will conduct rigorous reviews of textbooks submitted by publishers and evaluate them based on clearly defined academic and pedagogical standards.
“Following this evaluation process, only a limited number of textbooks will be ranked and approved for use in schools for each subject, ensuring improved quality control and consistency in teaching and learning materials across the country.”
The Ministry explained that the introduction of the ranking system is expected to significantly reduce the excessive number of textbooks currently in circulation in many schools, which has often created confusion for teachers, students and parents.
The statement added, “The reform also aims to bring greater transparency, order and quality assurance into the textbook approval process while aligning Nigeria’s education system with international best practices in instructional material standardisation.
“Under the new policy, NERDC will continue its responsibility of licensing textbooks. However, any textbook that is not ranked under the new system will not be permitted for use in Nigerian schools, regardless of prior licensing status.”
The statement further revealed that the Education Ministry will communicate the new ranking policy to teachers and other key stakeholders in the education sector to ensure proper awareness and compliance with the new framework.
The federal government reaffirmed that the reform forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the quality of education delivery, enhance learning outcomes and ensure that Nigerian students are equipped with the best possible learning resources.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The winner of the 2026 African Spelling Bee Championship, Ms Adeolu Oreofe, has been congratulated by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President described the outstanding achievement of the 14-year-old student as the importance of sustained investment in education, literacy, and youth development.
The student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College in Ado Ekiti claimed the championship in the Junior Category in Harare, Zimbabwe recently.
She defeated contestants from over 20 African countries to claim the continental crown, which comes with a $5,000 educational scholarship.
She finished second at the 2023 MTN Spelling Bee and the 2024 Ekiti State Spelling Bee. She then placed fifth at the 2025 African Spelling Bee and second at the 2025 Nigeria Spelling Bee, before clinching the first prize this year in the continental championship.
Mr Tinubu applauded Oreofe’s dedication, as well as the unwavering support of parents, teachers, and mentors who contributed to this remarkable success, noting that she did not allow earlier disappointments to deter her from her determination to reach the top.
“I am convinced that this feat not only brings honour to Nigeria on the continental stage but also serves as an inspiration to millions of young Nigerians to pursue excellence in academics and personal development.
“As a government, we will continue to strengthen the education sector by creating opportunities that enable Nigerian youths to compete and excel globally. I wish Miss Oreofe continued success in her future endeavours,” the President further said in the statement by his chief spokesman.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has made new appointments in the country’s educational sector, covering the National Examination Council (NECO), the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), the Federal Polytechnic in N’yak Shendam, Plateau State, and the National Library of Nigeria, all institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to a statement on Wednesday, President Tinubu appointed Professor Modupe Adeola Adelabu as Chairman of the Governing Board of NECO, and retained the current registrar, Professor Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi.
The President also appointed Dr Bongfa Binfa as Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, N’yak-Shendam, Plateau State, and renewed the tenure of Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi as chief executive of the National Library of Nigeria.
For the chairmanship of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), President Tinubu appointed Professor Babatunde Salako.
On April 10, President Tinubu reappointed the incumbent executive secretary, Professor Idris M Bugaje, for a second and final term of five years.
Professor Adelabu, who will chair NECO, is a retired Professor of educational administration who rose through the ranks to full professorship at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
She was a former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State (2013- 2014) and the Chairman of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) between 2018 and 2021.
Professor Babatunde Salako, the new chair of NBTE, is a globally respected researcher with decades of experience in higher education, institutional governance and national policy leadership.
He previously served as the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) from 2016 to 2024, a period during which the institute experienced significant revitalisation, enhanced research governance, expanded international collaborations, and improved infrastructure and research outputs.
Dr Binfa, from Plateau State, succeeds Dr Mukaila Zakari Ya’u, the pioneer Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, N’yak-Shendam, whose tenure expired on March 16, 2026.
President Tinubu approved the appointment of Dr Binfa for a single term of five years, following the conclusion of the process for appointing a new Rector through a public advertisement in national dailies in September 2025.
Dr Binfa holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Before this appointment, Dr Binfa was Deputy Rector (Academic) at the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny. He was also a Lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Federal Polytechnic, Idah.
President Tinubu approved the renewal of the tenure of Professor Chinwe Veronica Anunobi as CEO of the National Library of Nigeria for a final term of five years. She was first appointed on September, 2, 2021.
Since assuming office, she has led several institutional reforms aimed at repositioning the National Library as a modern technology-driven knowledge institution, including the development and operationalisation of the National Repository of Nigeria, the Newspaper and Magazine Locator, the Index and Abstract to Nigerian Newspapers, and the National Virtual Library of Nigeria.
She has also played a strategic role in advancing the long-awaited completion of the National Library Headquarters project and in initiating plans to migrate heritage collections from the 34 state branches to the new headquarters in Abuja.
According to the statement, the President expects that the renewal of her tenure would ensure continuity in the implementation of ongoing reforms, completion of the National Library Headquarters project, and execution of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan of the institution.
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