Nigerian Education’s Deep-Seated Challenges: Why Dr. Tunji Alausa and Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari Grapple with Adult Workforce Policies and Stifled Children’s Potential -By John Egbeazien Oshodi

The recent policy pronouncements from Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Federal Minister of Education, and Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari, Delta State’s Commissioner for Higher Education, offer a window into Nigeria’s intricate educational landscape. While these directives appear as pragmatic steps to address specific issues, a deeper, more subtle analysis reveals them as symptoms of profound, systemic challenges that position Nigeria’s educational framework significantly behind global standards, particularly concerning adult workforce management and the nurturing of children’s academic talent. The persistent struggle faced by these dedicated leaders isn’t a failure of individual intent, but rather a testament to the colossal task of navigating deeply entrenched historical legacies, economic constraints, and a complex socio-political environment.

The Weight of History and Chronic Underinvestment: A Foundation of Compromise

At the very core of the challenges faced by Nigerian education is a historical legacy coupled with chronic underinvestment. The current system, in many respects, still bears the imprints of its colonial origins. This inherited structure, initially designed to produce a clerical class for colonial administration, often prioritized rote learning and a rigid, examination-focused approach. This contrasts sharply with modern educational philosophies that emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability. The inherited framework, while having evolved, still struggles to fully shed these limiting characteristics, making it difficult for leaders like Dr. Alausa and Professor Tonukari to implement truly transformative, globally competitive reforms.

Compounding this historical inertia is the pervasive and chronic underfunding of the education sector. Nigeria consistently allocates a dismal percentage of its national budget to education, often hovering around 5-7%, a stark contrast to UNESCO’s recommended 15-26%. This sustained financial starvation has created a cascading effect of deficiencies:

Dilapidated Infrastructure: Universities and schools across Nigeria often feature crumbling buildings, overcrowded classrooms where students may sit on floors, and a severe lack of basic amenities like functional laboratories, modern libraries, and consistent electricity. How can a professor engage in cutting-edge research without proper lab equipment, or a child develop scientific curiosity in a classroom devoid of basic learning aids? This infrastructure decay is a direct consequence of decades of insufficient budgetary allocation.

Poorly Remunerated and Demoralized Workforce: Low salaries, often paid inconsistently, for both academic and non-academic staff (as low as $80/month for primary teachers and $600/month for professors) lead to widespread demoralization and disengagement. This atmosphere undermines the very passion and dedication required for quality teaching and research.

Brain Drain Epidemic: The stark disparity in working conditions and remuneration acts as a powerful “push” factor for Nigeria’s brightest minds. Highly skilled academics, medical professionals, and other experts – adults whose expertise is vital for national development – are steadily migrating to countries offering better pay, research opportunities, and overall quality of life. This “japa” wave, as it’s locally known, is draining Nigerian institutions of experienced professors and researchers, leaving junior staff overburdened and students without adequate mentorship. For Dr. Alausa and Professor Tonukari, attracting and retaining top talent in this environment becomes an almost impossible task.

These historical and financial constraints are not merely background noise; they are the very soil in which the systemic gaps are rooted, profoundly shaping the limitations faced by current educational leadership.

The Corrosion of Trust: Corruption and Weak Accountability Mechanisms

The need for Dr. Tunji Alausa to issue stern warnings about prosecuting institutions for “illegal admissions” and threatening license withdrawals is not merely an exercise in ministerial authority; it is a profound indictment of a deeply ingrained culture of corruption and a lack of accountability within the Nigerian education system. This isn’t just about isolated bad actors; it’s about a pervasive systemic vulnerability that undermines meritocracy and erodes public trust.

“Cash-for-Grades” and “Connections-for-Admission”: While some institutions like the University of Ibadan actively fight it, the widely reported practices of bribery for admission slots, manipulation of academic records, and even “sex-for-grades” fundamentally compromise fairness and quality. This means that a child’s access to tertiary education is often not purely based on their academic merit, but on their family’s connections or financial capacity. This creates a deeply inequitable system where deserving students are sidelined, and less qualified ones gain entry, ultimately diluting the quality of graduates. Dr. Alausa’s warnings highlight the monumental challenge of dismantling these deeply entrenched illicit networks.

Misappropriation of Funds: Even the meager funds allocated to education are frequently susceptible to mismanagement and outright embezzlement. Funds designated for infrastructure development, research grants, or even student welfare are often diverted, leaving projects incomplete and resources unavailable. This insidious financial corruption directly sabotages any effort by leaders like Professor Tonukari to improve university facilities or support academic endeavors.

Weak Enforcement and Impunity: The persistent nature of these corrupt practices, despite various governmental efforts and policies like CAPS (Central Admissions Processing System), suggests weaknesses in enforcement mechanisms and a lack of consistent accountability for offenders. When penalties are not consistently applied, the incentive for ethical conduct diminishes, making the task of reform even more daunting for the educational ministries.

Structural Rigidities and the Reluctance to Evolve: Stifling Potential Across Generations

The challenges are compounded by a bureaucratic rigidity and a subtle, yet powerful, resistance to modernizing paradigms.

Age-Based Barriers for Children: Dr. Alausa’s announcement of a 16-year minimum age for tertiary admission, while a reduction from 18, still places a rigid and unnecessary barrier on academically gifted children. This reflects a “one-size-fits-all” approach deeply embedded in the system. The absence of widespread dual enrollment or early college programs, common in countries like the United States (where students as young as 14 can earn college credits), means Nigeria is consciously preventing its brightest young minds from accelerating their learning. This not only stifles individual potential, leading to boredom and disengagement for some, but also deprives the nation of an earlier influx of highly skilled young adults into its workforce or research pipeline. The subtle resistance here isn’t malicious, but an inertia born of established practice and perhaps a lack of imaginative policy alternatives.

Inflexible Adult Retirement Policies: While Professor Tonukari’s move to extend the retirement age to 70 for associate professors is seen as progress, it still falls short of global trends towards flexible retirement based on productivity, or even the abolition of mandatory retirement ages for academics. The continued existence of a tiered retirement system also underscores a lack of comprehensive, equitable workforce planning that values all adult employees equally. This rigidity in adult workforce policy is not just about individuals; it reflects a broader system that struggles to adapt to demographic shifts and the imperative of retaining valuable experience across all cadres.

Proliferation Without Quality: Dr. Alausa’s revelation that over 120 Nigerian universities received fewer than 50 applications each is a stark indicator of a deep imbalance. This isn’t just about under-enrollment; it suggests a crisis of quality and relevance. The historical drive to establish more institutions, often for political reasons, without commensurate investment in quality infrastructure, faculty, and research capacity, has led to a fragmented system. Students, both children completing secondary school and older adults seeking further education, are increasingly discerning, voting with their feet by shunning institutions perceived as low quality. This subtly points to a failure of strategic planning that has prioritized quantity over a robust, high-quality educational ecosystem.

The Looming Threat: Brain Drain and the Erosion of Human Capital

One of the most insidious “whys” is the massive brain drain impacting Nigeria’s educational sector and beyond. Low remuneration, poor working conditions, and a lack of research funding are powerful “push” factors driving qualified academics, doctors, engineers, and other professionals – the very adults Nigeria needs to develop – to seek opportunities abroad.

Depletion of Expertise: When experienced professors leave, their expertise, mentorship capacity, and institutional memory walk out the door. This leaves younger, less experienced faculty to shoulder heavier burdens, often teaching courses outside their specialization, and severely impacts the quality of research supervision.

Compromised Quality: This exodus directly compromises the quality of education delivered to children and young adults. Overcrowded classes, lack of personalized attention, and outdated curricula become the norm. The global credibility of Nigerian degrees also suffers when the institutions are perceived to lack sufficient qualified staff.

Stifled Innovation: A robust research environment, crucial for national development, relies on experienced academics and well-funded facilities. Brain drain cripples this capacity, limiting Nigeria’s ability to innovate and solve its own unique challenges.

For Dr. Alausa and Professor Tonukari, combating brain drain is not just about increasing salaries; it’s about fundamentally reshaping the appeal of working in Nigerian academia. It requires a holistic approach that includes improving research grants, ensuring academic freedom, providing modern facilities, and fostering an environment of respect and meritocracy.

Conclusion: A Call for Visionary Leadership Beyond Policy Band-Aids

The challenges faced by Dr. Tunji Alausa and Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari are systemic, deeply rooted, and multifaceted. They are grappling with a complex tapestry of historical legacies, chronic underfunding, pervasive corruption, bureaucratic inertia, and the ongoing exodus of talent. Their policy pronouncements, while intended to improve the system, often function as necessary, but ultimately insufficient, “band-aids” on gaping wounds.

For Nigeria to truly unlock its educational potential, leaders at all levels must:

Confront Underfunding Decisively: This requires a political will to allocate a significantly higher percentage of the national budget to education, aligning with or exceeding UNESCO’s recommendations, and ensuring that these funds are transparently utilized.

Dismantle Corruption Systemically: Beyond warnings, there must be a robust, independent, and consistent application of anti-corruption measures, with severe consequences for those who undermine educational integrity.

Embrace Flexibility and Modernity: This means dismantling rigid age barriers for children’s admission, championing dual enrollment, and adopting more holistic admissions processes. It also entails moving towards flexible, performance-based retirement policies for all adults in the workforce.

Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: There must be a strategic shift from merely establishing more institutions to comprehensively investing in and elevating the quality and relevance of existing ones. This includes modernizing curricula, investing in research, and creating an attractive environment for academics to thrive.

Address Brain Drain at its Roots: A concerted effort to improve remuneration, working conditions, and research opportunities is essential to retain and attract top talent back to Nigerian institutions.

Without a deeper, more courageous commitment to addressing these fundamental underlying issues, the commendable efforts of leaders like Dr. Alausa and Professor Tonukari will remain constrained, and Nigeria’s educational system will continue to grapple with its profound, self-imposed limitations, failing to fully empower its children and leverage the wisdom of its adults.

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is a U.S.-based psychologist, educator, and author with expertise in forensic, legal, and clinical psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and police and prison science. Born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, and the son of a 37-year veteran of the Nigeria Police Force, his background shaped his lifelong commitment to justice and institutional transformation.

In 2011, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology to Nigeria through the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Nasarawa State University, where he served as an Associate Professor of Psychology. His teaching career includes various U.S. institutions like Florida Memorial University and Florida International University. At Broward College, he held roles as an Assistant Professor and Interim Associate Dean. He holds virtual academic roles with Walden University, Weldios University and ISCOM University.

In the U.S., Professor Oshodi consults for the government in forensic-clinical psychology and leads initiatives through the Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological and Forensic Services. He originated Psychoafricalysis, a psychological model integrating African realities. A proud Black Republican, he advocates for ethical leadership, accountability, and stronger ties between Africa and its diaspora, working to inspire systemic reform.