The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which claims that the country’s educational system is in grave danger of collapsing, has announced plans to launch a campaign to restore standards, peace, and security.
Chinyelu Okolie, the National Treasurer of NANS, urged the federal government to increase financing for education in Nigeria in order to advance and completely overhaul the educational system during a news conference before the event on Saturday.
“Over the years, Nigeria’s education sector has received much less funding than the United Nations’ recommended allocation of 26% of the national budget,” claims Okolie.
“The majority of the infrastructures in our institution are deteriorated and are frequently uncomfortable for practical classes as they should be; as a result, they are left with theories rather than enough practice, depriving us of the chance to compete well with other nations of the world.
“Most of our campuses have a high level of insecurity, which has resulted in numerous cases of kidnapping, theft, and fatalities among the student population.
It is even more horrifying to recall that, according to Save the Children International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), over 1,000 students were kidnapped from Nigerian schools in the past two years (from 2020–2022). The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) also reported that, between 2015–2019, there were 100 reported attacks on schools in Nigeria.
“As advocates for a consistent and high-quality educational system in Nigeria, we will not lay down our arms until academic normality is restored.”
She said, “Education is the key to opportunity and should, therefore, be a basic fundamental right of every person, but regrettably, education in Nigeria is plagued by a plethora of issues.
It is well known that the Nigerian educational system faces a serious threat of total collapse and ongoing decline, particularly in the last two (2) decades. This progressive decadence is caused by neglect, educational disparity, proliferation of our educational system, security flaws, inadequate funding, non-payment of salaries, increase in tuition fees, and moral decadence, not to mention the frequent strike actions, appalling infrastructure, and moral decadence,
“We are requesting that all students and educational stakeholders identify the issues they are facing in their various departments and sectors so that we can better our educational system by finding long-term solutions rather than taking steps that will stunt the development of Nigeria’s educational system and cause untold hardship for the students.
“The affordability of public schools is at the heart of their appeal, but recently, the opposite has proven true. Imagine a nation where more than 10.5 million pupils are not in school because their families cannot afford to pay for their tuition, deterring them from receiving a basic education and hampering the advancement of education in Nigeria.
“Lecturers are due 34 months’ salary at several Nigerian universities; this, together with many other factors, have caused a constant stream of industrial actions, disrupted our academic calendar, extended students’ academic years, and other problems. If this is not resolved right away, it would further impede Nigeria’s educational development.
“In that vein, we appeal to Nigerians everywhere, to lovers of education everywhere, to religious leaders, traditional rulers, and the civil society to look into this matter, work in synergy with us to ensure that our educational system is restored,” she said.
“As we push for the improvement and complete overhaul of the educational system, it is worthwhile to note that a Country without value for education is a threat to its future,” she said in her conclusion. Together we are a force; alone we are a voice.
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