When I read Edugist’s assessment of Nigeria’s education sector 66 years after independence, one sentence stood out.
The history of Nigerian education, and especially at the tertiary level, is not simply a story of what governments have introduced. It is also a story of what survived implementation. That is the perfect summary of our problem. We have mastered the art of policy formulation and failed the science of policy execution.
From 120 Schools to 23,000 Schools — But At What Cost?
At independence in 1960, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools and 2 tertiary institutions serving 45 million people. Today we have over 23,000 secondary schools, 274 universities, 183 polytechnics and 236 colleges of education serving over 230 million.
On paper, that is progress. In reality, it is expansion without depth. We are still living with 10.5 to 20 million out-of-school children – the highest number in Africa. We are still producing graduates where 86% of JS2 learners cannot meet minimum proficiency in mathematics. We are still running schools without laboratories, libraries, electricity and water, with a learner-to-classroom ratio far above the Universal Basic Education standard.
And we are still funding education at 6.39% of the national budget – less than half of UNESCO’s 15-20% benchmark. As I have argued in my work on entrepreneurship education, you cannot build a knowledge economy on learning poverty.
TETFUND and NELFUND – Two Different Pathways To The Same Destination?
I acknowledge the renewed push under Minister Tunji Alausa – a Nigerian medical doctor specialising in nephrology, and current Minister of Education – but we must be clear on what each fund does. TETFUND (Tertiary Education Trust Fund) is our older institutional fund. Since 2011, funded by education tax on companies, it has invested over ?1.7 trillion in 244 public institutions for infrastructure, research grants, staff training and libraries. It funds the institution.
NELFUND (Nigeria Education Loan Fund) is the new student-focused fund, signed into law in April 2024. As of April 2026, it has received 1.77 million applications and disbursed ?242.4 billion to 1.38 million students – with ?157.4 billion directly to 288 institutions for tuition and ?84.9 billion as monthly upkeep allowance. It funds the individual.
ASUU is right to warn that one cannot replace the other. As reported in The Nation in January 2025, TETFUND focuses on institutional support while NELFUND provides direct financial assistance to students. We need both – strong buildings and supported students. The Tax Bill 2024 proposal to divert TETFUND’s education tax to NELFUND must be rejected.
These, plus initiatives like the Nigerian Learning Passport and UNICEF reaching 1.5 million children in 2025, are commendable interventions. But they are interventions, not transformation. A student loan does not fix a primary school where a teacher is absent because salaries have not been paid. A TETFUND building does not fix a polytechnic where the curriculum has no link to industry – “We are treating symptoms while the system bleeds”.
Three Things We Must Get Right
If we are serious about moving from policy to progress, we must confront three uncomfortable truths.
First, Technical and Vocational Education must stop being treated as punishment. In my years in the UK, Rwanda, and now India, I saw how TVET drives productivity, especially in commonwealth countries. In the particular case of Nigeria, we still treat it as an alternative for students who cannot make it to university. Until TVET is properly funded and linked to industry, youth unemployment will persist.
Second, universities must stop being degree mills. Universities should be spaces for generating knowledge, solving local problems and producing innovations that respond to Nigeria’s realities. This requires stronger university-industry links, increased support for research, and accountability.
Third, education planning must be evidence-based, not political. Our needs are shaped by population growth, demographic pressure, regional inequalities, insecurity and technological change. Policies must respond to these, not to election cycles.
It’s Independence Day, Nigeria – Let’s Propose A Toast For The Next 66 Years
Sixty-six years after independence, Nigeria has shown it can formulate ambitious policies. The next test is whether it can build the institutions, funding systems and political commitment required to implement them consistently. We cannot celebrate policy announcements while millions learn under conditions of displacement and interruption.
Don’t cry for me, Nigeria. Fix the implementation – Today is Independence Day.