Peter Obi@PeterObi
Nigeria Must Prioritise Education or Risk Falling Further Behind.
Yesterday, at Coal City University Enugu I delivered a lecture on 'Repositioning Nigeria’s education sector for national growth and global competitiveness' I also seized the opportunity to commend the Vice-Chancellor and the entire management of the University for their commitment to academic excellence and for providing a platform for meaningful national discourse.
No nation rises above the quality of its education system. Nigeria’s current low Human Development Index (HDI) score of 0.548 and persistent high unemployment are clear symptoms of chronic underinvestment in education and human capital development.
The data is equally revealing. Nigeria allocates less than 10% of its budget to education, far below the 15–20% global benchmark. Youth unemployment and underemployment exceed 30%, while life expectancy remains among the lowest 50–55 years. Literacy levels hover below average 59% and 65%, all of which point to deep structural weaknesses in our development trajectory.
In contrast, comparable countries such as Indonesia and Egypt, and South Africa have high HDI levels with HDI scores of 0.72–0.75. They all have higher life expectancy of above 65 years, higher literacy levels and higher per capita incomes of $3,500 above, while Nigeria is about $1000. This stronger progress was through sustained and deliberate investment in education, healthcare, and broader human capital development. The difference is not in talent, but in priority and policy consistency.
We must move beyond rhetoric and confront these realities with urgency. I therefore called for a total review of Nigeria’s education funding model, stronger public-private partnerships, and more inclusive policies that recognise the role of both public and private institutions in educating Nigerian students. It is difficult to justify excluding private universities from intervention frameworks like TETFund when they are actively contributing to national capacity building.
Education is not charity; it is the foundation of national growth and the gateway to global competitiveness. With sustained investment in education and a deliberate focus on human capital development, a new Nigeria is not only POssible - it is inevitable. -PO
