The document provides an overview of Nigeria's geography, population, political structure, and educational system, highlighting the challenges faced within the education sector. It notes the significant demand for tertiary education contrasted with limited access due to high competition and insufficient funding, with a major portion of the youth population pursuing studies abroad. Additionally, it discusses reforms aimed at improving accessibility, such as the establishment of more universities and the licensing of private institutions.

1. BY
AHMAD ALIYU PALLADAN
EDUCATION INDUSTRY IN
NIGERIA: ISSUES AND
CHALLENGES

2. NIGERIA: A GENERAL
OVERVIEW
 GEOGRAPHY: Nigeria is located in the West
African region and lies between longitudes 3
degrees and 14 degrees and latitudes 4 degrees
and 14 degrees. It has a land mass of 923,768
sq.km. It is bordered to the north by the Republics
of Niger and Chad; it shares borders to the west
with the Republic of Benin, while the Republic of
Cameroun shares the eastern borders right down
to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean which forms
the southern limits of Nigerian Territory. The
coastline border is 800 Km long.

3.  POPULATION: Nigerian population is estimated to
be at 174 Million as at January, 2015. Nigeria is the
most populous country in Africa and equally 7th most
populous on earth. Nigeria has one of the largest
population of youths in the world (CIA factbook,
2013).
 Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth.
 The country’s major tribes are Hausa, Yoruba and
Ibo . English is the official language in Nigeria.
Arabic is another popular language spoken is,
especially in the northern part of the country.
 Nigeria is a multi-religious country. 50% of the
population practices Islam while the remaining
practices Christianity and other traditional religious
(Mapsofworld, 2015).
 Nigeria has 36 states plus a Federal Capital
Territory (FCT). Nigeria has 772 local government
areas.
 The most populous state is Lagos, seconded by
Kano, and Kaduna being the third (National Census,
2006).

4.  POLITICAL: Nigeria got it independence from
Britain on 1st October 1960.
 Nigeria is multi- party democratic state.
 The dominant political parties in the country are
All People Congress (APC) and the People
Democratic Party (PDP)
 The current president of Nigeria is Muhammad
Buhari who was elected on the platform of the
APC on 28 March, 2015.
 ECONOMY: In 2014, opined Aljazeera (2014) and
Bloomberg (2014), Nigeria's economy (GDP)
became the largest in Africa, with more than $500
billion. This overtook that of South Africa, hence
become the 21st largest economy in the world
(Aljazeera; Blomberg, 2014). This majorily
attributed to its vast reserve of oil and gas.

5.  NOTE: Gross Domestic Product is different from
Per capita income. Nigerian per capita is not
commensurable with its GDP.

6. MAP OF NIGERIA

7. NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL
INDUSTRY
 WESTERN EDUCATION IN NIGERIA DURING
COLONIALISM: Western Education was
introduced into Nigeria in the 1840s. It began in
Lagos, Calabar and other coastal areas. In a few
decades schooling in English language gradually
took roots in Nigeria. During the Colonial years,
Great Britain did not promote education. The
British colonial government only funded a few
schools.
 Schools were set up and operated by Christian
Missionaries. The policy of the colonial
government then was to give grant to mission
schools rather than expand the system.

8. EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA:
• The literacy rate for 15-24 year olds is 72.1%, just
11 % higher to the adult rate, which is 61.3%. The
total enrolment ratio at secondary schools level is
just 44% or 21% points below the global average,
but four higher than the African Sub-Saharan
average, while the lower secondary ratio is just 47
percent versus a global average of 82 percent
(Wenr, 2013).
• CATEGORY OF SCHOOLS IN NIGERIAN
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: The education system is
divided into three categories:
i. Primary education
ii. Secondary education
iii. Tertiary education

9. TERTIARY EDUCATION IN
NIGERIA
• Nigeria operates binary system of tertiary education.
• The government has majority control of university
education. Nigeria has a total number of 129
universities registered by the NUC among which
federal and state government own 40 and 39
respectively while 50 universities are privately owned
(NUC, 2015).
REQUIREMENT FOR ENTRY INTO NIGERIA
UNIVERSITIES:
• First year entry requirements into most universities in
Nigeria include: Minimum of SSCE/GCE Ordinary
Level Credits at maximum of two sittings; Minimum
cut-off marks in Joint Admission and Matriculation
Board Entrance Examination (JAMB) of 180 and
above out of a maximum of 400 marks are required
(JAMB,2015).

10.  Candidates with minimum of Merit Pass in
National Certificate of Education (NCE), National
Diploma (ND) and other Advanced Level
Certificates minimum qualifications with minimum
of 5 O/L Credits are given direct entry admission
into the appropriate undergraduate degree
programs. (The five credits most include English
and Mathematics).
 Students normally enter university from age of 18
onwards, and study for an academic degree.
 Just of recent there is issue of another exams
that universities compel prospective students to
take and pass before they could be admitted. Its
regarded as Post UTME exams. Each university
organize its own, and its mostly in electronic
format.

11. OTHER TERTIARY
INSTITUTIONS:
 Polytechnics : There are 126 polytechnics in
Nigeria. 41 belongs to federal government, 21
owned by state government and 61 owned by
private individuals and organizations
(NBTE,2015).
 Colleges of education: The mandates of these
institutions is to train teachers that will teach in
primary and lower secondary schools. There are
total of 83 colleges of education in Nigeria both
federal, state and private (NCCE, 2015).
 The last category at this juncture are the
monotechnics. They are numbered at 248 both
federal, state owned and private as at January,
2015. (NBTE, 2015).

12. MAIN CHALLENGES BEDEVILLING
HEIs IN NIGERIA
 Accessibility: The word “access” implies making it
possible for every child of school age to receive
school education.
 Dada (2004) and Tonwe (2005) described access as
the right to get or receive formal education as distinct
from informal or outside school education, while the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization. (UNESCO, 2003) put “access in tertiary
education” to mean “ensuring equitable access to
tertiary education based on merit, capacity, effort and
perseverance”. In this connection, equity in education
implies ensuring that every segment of the civil
society receives its fair share of access to whatever
educational opportunities that are
provided (Ene, 2005).

13.  Steep competitions exist in the Nigerian
universities. Every year many candidates writes
the UTME exams but quite number of them are
not admitted (Patricia et al, 2012). The average
pass rate for UTME exams in the country is 60%.
 The failure of Nigeria’s education system to meet
increasing demand, along with the rapid increase
in the number of families that can afford to send
their children overseas are the main drivers of
academic mobility out of Nigeria (UNESCO,
2012).
NB: Accessibility is one of the most
disturbing challenge in Nigerian tertiary
education system presently.

14. FIVE YEAR SUMMARY OF
APPLICANTS AND ADMITTED
STUDENTS INTO HEIs IN NIGERIA
YEAR NO OF JAMB CAND. NO ADMITTED
%
2011 1.4 Million 440,000
30.13%
2012 1.5 Million 500,000
33.25%
2013 1.6 Million 520,000
30.00%
2014 1.6 Million 550,000
32.00%

15. BUT WHY???!!!
 Continue increase of demand (Ukertor, 2010).
 Tertiary education in Nigeria is virtually free
compared to other African countries:
COMPARISON OF AVERAGE TUITION FEES
BETWEEN NIGERIA AND SOME AFRICAN
COUNTRIES:
1. Ghana ------------------- 320 Dollar Per Session
2. Uganda--------------------1000 Dollars Per
Session
3. Kenya----------------------5000 Dollars Per
Session
4. South Africa---------------3100 Dollars Per
Session

16.  Much of the students prefer public universities to
private due high tuition fees charged by the
private universities. Public universities admits
more 90% of the studnets every year.
 Insufficient funding. Nigerian budget on
education ranges from 15 to 17% only which is
less than 27% as recommended by the United
Nation.
 Carrying capacity has not been consistent with
demand.

17. SOME STEPS TAKING TO REMEDY
THE PROBLEM
 Licensing of private universities
 Establishment of new universities
 Expansion of the exiting universities through
massive recruitment and training of academic
staff both within and outside the country
 Affiliating non degree awarding institutions with
degree awarding institutions.
 Increase of middle class that has been on the
surge within the past 10 years or so also leads to
sending of many children overseas
• Creation of TETFUND

18. STUDYING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY:
 The number of Nigerian students at overseas
institutions of education grew to 71% between 2007
and 2010 alone (UNESCO, 2012).
 The UK has been a favourite destination for Nigerian
students overseas, with numbers surging in recent
years from 11,785 in 2008 to 17,620 in 2012,
according to recent data from Britain’s Higher
Education Statistics Agency (HESA, 2013).
 On the other hand, the US is the second popular
destination, with enrolment of Nigerian students of
3,820 in year 2000/01 and over 7,000 in 2011/12
 Other countries includes: Ghana, South Africa,
Ukraine, Malaysia etc.

19. ALHAMDULILLAH
THANK YOU ALL