Nigeria education has evolved through a number of phases. The education system in Nigeria has been formed by a number of influences, – the colonial influence, the influence of the military rule in Nigeria and then the impact of independence and a new constitution.
The progress of education in the southern states of Nigeria reveals the involvement of the Christian missionaries towards the education system in Nigeria during the colonial period.
History of Nigeria Education
Nigeria education was slowly but soundly developing during the colonial time until the conclusion of World War II. The Christian missionaries introduced the western education system in Nigeria in the mid nineteenth century. Three fundamentally distinct education systems existed in Nigeria in 1990. They were, – the indigenous system, the Quranic schools, and formal European-style educational institutions. Higher Education in Nigeria originated with the colonial government launching the Yaba Higher College in1934.
Education in Nigeria became the responsibility of the state and local councils according to the 1979 constitution. First six years of primary education was made mandatory, which was a significant factor in the development of education in Nigeria. There has been a noticeable upgrading of educational facilities in Nigeria in the latest years. The apparent rates for adult illiteracy in the year 2000 is 35.9%.
Nigeria Education System
At present, there are 13 polytechnic colleges and four institutions of technology in Nigeria, along with a number of state universities, colleges, and schools. The local and state governments manage primary and secondary education in Nigeria. Higher education is the responsibility of both the federal and the state governments.
Education is free but not compulsory at present in Nigeria. The formal education system includes six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four years of university education consequently directing towards a bachelor’s level degree in the majority of the subjects. The annual term of school in Nigeria stretch through ten months, and is sectioned into three ten to twelve weeks periods each at the pre-primary, primary, junior and senior secondary stages.
Nigeria Education includes a significant stage of language education. Primary education in Nigeria starts in English Language which has become the country’s formal mode of communication. Higher Education in Nigeria has developed considerably over the decades and is now popular among Nigerians. Some of the important educational institutions of Nigeria are
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
- Bayero University
- Lagos Business School
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- University of Benin
- University of Lagos
- University of Ibadan
- Yaba College of Technology
Universities in Nigeria
Universities in Nigeria are the focal point of higher education in Nigeria. The country’s education system has evolved through various stages. At present, the Nigerian education system is moving towards a positive development with the emergence of university
education in Nigeria. Currently there are almost 1 million students registered with above 200 institutions in Nigeria. Among them, 411,347 students are enrolled in 36 universities. Three types of universities currently exist in Nigeria, the federal universities, state universities and private universities.
History of Universities in Nigeria
Nigerian higher education originated with the establishment of the Yaba Higher College by the colonial government in 1934. The federal government established a new university in the city of Lagos in 1962. The government of the Northern Region also founded a new university in the same year. The Western Region government too, launched its own university at Ile-Ife in 1962, inspite of already having two federal universities in its region. The University of Benin was established in 1970, and with this, the first stage of university development in Nigeria came to an end.
In the second phase the government set up seven new universities from 1975-1977 and adopted the four regional universities in 1975. Seven state universities, five new federal universities of technology, and two new federal universities of agriculture emerged in the period of 1979-1983.