Education: A Mirror of Society: February 2014

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Editorial note: This article reflects Nigeria’s employment and education situation at the time it was written. Yet, the central argument—that greater investment in education can create jobs and support national development—remains relevant.</blockquote><h2>Nigeria’s Unemployment Problem</h2>Unemployment is a major issue in Nigeria. At the time this article was written, the country had the largest population in Africa, estimated at about 165 million, with young people representing a significant proportion of the population.Statistics released in 2013 indicated a very high level of youth unemployment. So disturbing was the unemployment situation that the Federal Government described the 2014 national budget as the “Budget of Job Creation and Inclusive Growth.”The unemployment problem is strongly connected to the type of economy operated in the country, which has largely depended on the export of crude oil.Despite the large revenue generated by the oil industry, it creates relatively few direct jobs. In addition, much of the revenue meant for development has been lost through corruption and poor management.Previous efforts to diversify the economy through investment in agriculture, solid minerals and other sectors have often suffered setbacks. However, one area that has yet to be fully explored for job creation is the education sector.<h2>Employment Opportunities in Education</h2>The education sector consists of schools, ministries, commissions, agencies, publishing companies and industries that produce educational materials. These areas require a large workforce.With appropriate strategies and investment in education, several Nigerians could be gainfully employed.The shortage of qualified and trained teachers is well known to both the government and the public. This problem was also highlighted during the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics strike.Among their demands, the unions called on the government to recruit more lecturers to complement the available staff, whom they argued were overstretched.The shortage of workers is not limited to tertiary institutions. Primary and secondary schools suffer from similar problems. Many public schools have a poor teacher-to-student ratio, while some schools in rural and remote areas exist almost only in name.<h2>Recruiting and Training More Teachers</h2>The shortage of workers in education is a serious problem that requires urgent attention.Direct investment in the sector through the recruitment and training of graduates as teachers could reduce youth unemployment. Thousands, and possibly millions over time, could be taken off the streets and gainfully employed.Employment opportunities should not be limited to teachers. Many schools also lack essential non-teaching workers in areas such as:<ul><li>administration;</li><li>security;</li><li>maintenance;</li><li>sports;</li><li>transportation;</li><li>cleaning;</li><li>gardening; and</li><li>library services.</li></ul>Properly staffing these departments would create jobs and improve the operation of schools.<h2>Investment in School Infrastructure</h2>Another source of employment lies in the development of school infrastructure.Following the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme in the 1980s, during a period of economic difficulty and falling oil revenue, investment in school infrastructure declined while existing facilities deteriorated.The trend continued for many years. As student enrolment increased, classrooms became overcrowded, office blocks deteriorated, and libraries and laboratories became obsolete or completely unavailable in many schools.The infrastructural challenges became enormous after decades of neglect.However, this trend could be reversed through short- and long-term investment in educational infrastructure.The construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, workshops, hostels and administrative buildings would create direct and indirect jobs in:<ul><li>building and construction;</li><li>furniture production;</li><li>laboratory-equipment manufacturing;</li><li>electronics;</li><li>transportation;</li><li>printing; and</li><li>other supporting industries.</li></ul>Such investment holds great promise for reducing unemployment.It could also help revitalise industries connected to education, particularly publishing houses and companies involved in the production of textbooks, exercise books, school furniture, uniforms and teaching materials.<h2>Benefits Beyond Job Creation</h2>Although this article has focused mainly on the economic gains and employment opportunities available through investment in education, there are several other benefits.Apart from creating jobs, investment in education would help improve educational standards and support the achievement of the goals of the National Policy on Education.It would also contribute to higher literacy and make national development through education more achievable.Education does not only employ people directly. It also prepares the skilled workers, professionals and innovators required in agriculture, health, technology, manufacturing, construction and every other sector of the economy.<h2>Problems with Graduate Teacher-Recruitment Programmes</h2>Some state governments have recruited graduates as teachers in an attempt to address both unemployment and the shortage of teaching staff.Thousands of young people have been employed through such programmes and deployed to schools, particularly in rural areas where teachers are in short supply.In Niger State, for example, graduates were recruited under a programme popularly associated with the administration at the time and posted to different schools.However, corruption, poor supervision and weak motivation affected the success of such initiatives.Because of poor salaries, limited incentives and difficult working conditions, some recruits reportedly found ways to avoid their responsibilities. Some collected their monthly salaries without regularly attending school or properly teaching their students.For such people, the programme became a form of government support for the unemployed rather than a genuine teaching appointment.If these weaknesses are addressed through proper recruitment, training, monitoring and motivation, graduate teacher-employment programmes could significantly reduce the number of young people seeking jobs.Teachers posted to rural communities should also be provided with accommodation, transport support and other incentives that would encourage them to remain at their duty posts.<h2>Regulation and Monitoring</h2>The education sector offers a promising platform through which federal and state governments can create jobs directly and indirectly.This would not only complement other government efforts to reduce unemployment but also raise the standard of education.However, strict regulation and monitoring must be introduced to prevent employment programmes from becoming mere government benefit schemes.Recruitment should be based on merit and genuine need rather than political connections. Workers should be properly trained, assigned clear responsibilities and regularly supervised.At the same time, salaries and allowances should be paid promptly. It would be unfair to demand commitment from workers who are poorly paid or owed salaries for several months.<h2>Why Education Must Come First</h2>Some readers may ask: why not invest instead in industry, health, roads, agriculture or mining, all of which could also create substantial jobs?Investment in all these sectors would certainly benefit the economy.However, it is people who drive every sector. Without quality education and properly trained workers, investments in industry, health, agriculture, mining and technology may not produce the expected results.Education drives innovation. The development of any nation in today’s world is closely connected to the quality of its investment in education.As G. K. Chesterton stated:<blockquote>“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.”</blockquote>Only education can provide the knowledge, skills and values required for lasting development and progress.<h2>Update: July 2026</h2>Nigeria’s method of measuring unemployment has changed since this article was written. The National Bureau of Statistics now applies updated international labour-measurement standards, so recent unemployment figures cannot be directly compared with the older figures quoted in the original article. For example, the NBS reported a youth unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent for people aged 15–24 in the first quarter of 2024, while broader measures such as underemployment and young people not in education, employment or training provide additional information about the labour situation.Despite the change in statistics, the underlying concern remains. The World Bank reported in 2026 that about one in five Nigerian youths was neither studying nor working, while gaps in education, learning and workplace skills continued to limit employment and future earnings.Investment in education can still create employment through teacher recruitment, school construction, publishing, vocational training, educational technology and the production of learning materials.However, job creation should not simply involve placing unemployed graduates in classrooms. Teachers and other education workers must be properly trained, motivated, supervised and provided with the resources required to perform their duties.Education remains one of the strongest foundations on which Nigeria can build productive employment and sustainable national development.</div>
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Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem — Part One

Editorial note: This article reflects Nigeria’s employment and education situation at the time it was written. Yet, the central argument—t...

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Editorial note: This post was first written when Freerice raised funds mainly through advertisements displayed while users played. The funding system has since changed, but the idea remains the same: players answer educational questions while helping to support the United Nations World Food Programme.</blockquote>Freerice is an ambitious fundraising and educational initiative owned by the United Nations World Food Programme. It combines learning with efforts to fight world hunger.The website provides a free online trivia game that allows players to select a subject and answer multiple-choice questions.For every question answered correctly, the player earns ten virtual grains of rice. These grains are matched by private sponsors, triggering a financial contribution to the World Food Programme’s emergency and hunger-relief activities. The grains therefore represent donations rather than physical rice being sent directly each time a question is answered.There is no limit to how much rice an individual can earn. Players can also create groups and invite friends, classmates, family members or other members of their community to participate. They may also join existing groups and contribute towards a shared total.The game covers different educational subjects and general-knowledge topics. It provides an opportunity to test one’s knowledge while contributing to a worthy cause.I played questions in Chemistry and proudly raised more than one thousand grains in less than 24 hours.Join the noble cause, challenge yourself and help support efforts to fight hunger.Learn, play and give back.Visit <a href="https://freerice.com/">Freerice</a> to get started.</div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div></blockquote></blockquote>

Freerice: Learn, Play and Help Fight Hunger

Editorial note: This post was first written when Freerice raised funds mainly through advertisements displayed while users played. The fun...

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