Military era responsible for collapse of Nigeria’s education system – Bisi Akande
— Nnaji calls for digital reform
Former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has attributed the deterioration of Nigeria’s education system to the 1976 military takeover of regional educational institutions, which he said disrupted the solid foundations laid during the early years of the country’s free education programme.
Speaking as chairman at a public lecture organised by Independent Newspapers to mark the 70th anniversary of Free Universal Primary Education in Nigeria, held at Eko Hotels, Lagos, Akande said education before the military era thrived under regional control, which allowed innovation and healthy competition among the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Mid-Western regions.
He explained that the regional institutions were methodically managed by competent proprietors and administrators, but the 1976 federal takeover transferred them to inexperienced state bureaucracies, leading to today’s collapse of standards and infrastructure.
Akande, who described himself as one of the pioneering teachers of 1955, recalled that Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free education policy initially faced resistance from some parents but later became the cornerstone of Nigeria’s social and economic advancement.
He lamented that subsequent military policies “bastardised” the system, eroding the gains of the early years, and commended Independent Newspapers for using the anniversary to remind Nigerians of education’s role as the foundation of true independence and progress.
Also speaking at the event, former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, called for a digital overhaul of Nigeria’s education sector, urging the federal and state governments to provide a computer for every public primary school teacher across the 774 local government areas.
Delivering a lecture titled “Show the Light, and the People Will Find the Way,” Nnaji said embracing Artificial Intelligence from the foundational level would modernise learning and make Nigerian pupils globally competitive.
He stressed that Nigeria must revive the spirit of innovation that once drove regional development, arguing that only a technology-driven education system can prepare young Nigerians for the challenges of the future.
