Buhari’s Certificate Controversy: School Releases Academic Record

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects the controversy surrounding Muhammadu Buhari’s educational qualification during the campaign for Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election. The document released by his former school was a statement of result, not the original West African School Certificate.</span></p></blockquote><p>The controversy surrounding the eligibility of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), appeared likely to ease following the release of his academic record by his former school.</p><p>The authorities of Government College, Katsina—formerly Provincial Secondary School, Katsina—made copies of Buhari’s statement of result available to journalists on 21 January 2015 at his request.</p><p>The statement appeared to have been extracted from the school’s record of candidates who sat the 1961 West African School Certificate Examination. It showed that Buhari sat the examination alongside several other students. (<a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/175384-breaking-katsina-college-releases-buharis-%E2%80%8Bwasc-results.html">premiumtimesng.com</a>)</p><p>Buhari’s eligibility to contest for the presidency had earlier been questioned by some of his political opponents. He had submitted an affidavit to the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that his academic documents were with the Secretary of the Military Board.</p><p>However, the Nigerian Army later stated that Buhari’s personal file did not contain the original certificate or statement of result, although it contained other records showing that he had attended secondary school. (<a href="https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-buharis-personal-file-not-contain-certificates-says-army/">thecable.ng</a>)</p><p>The document released by Government College, Katsina, supported Buhari’s claim that he attended the school and sat the West African School Certificate Examination. However, because it was a newly issued statement of result rather than the original certificate, the political controversy did not entirely end.</p><p>The academic record and the original report on its release can be viewed through <em>Premium Times</em>.</p><h2>Later Development</h2><p>Muhammadu Buhari eventually contested and won the 2015 presidential election. He served as President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023.</p><p>In 2018, the West African Examinations Council presented him with an attestation of result. Questions about his educational qualification arose again during the 2019 election, but legal actions seeking his disqualification were unsuccessful. One appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court in September 2019. (<a href="https://punchng.com/supreme-court-dismisses-suit-against-buhari/">punchng.com</a>)</p><p>Buhari died on 13 July 2025, after leaving office two years earlier. (<a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/806895-muhammadu-buhari-former-president-of-nigeria-is-dead.html">premiumtimesng.com</a>)</p></div> </div>

Buhari’s Certificate Controversy: School Releases Academic Record

Editorial note: This article reflects the controversy surrounding Muhammadu Buhari’s educational qualification during the campaign for Nig...

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PDP Manifesto on Education: Promises, Progress and Poor Performance

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><p>A basic litmus test for judging the performance of any government or political party is its achievement in the education sector.</p><p>Education lays the foundation for the development of every other sector of a nation. Achievements in education should, therefore, be among the most important milestones of any government.</p><p>The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) produced the presidents who governed Nigeria continuously from 1999 to 2015. However, by the end of that period, the education sector was still struggling with many of the problems inherited from the era of military rule. The party lost the presidency in the 2015 general election after 16 years in power.</p><p>Education policies were often unstable, strike actions were frequent, and funding remained a major problem. In summary, the education sector did not improve as much as Nigerians had expected after the country returned to democratic government.</p><p>The consequences could be seen across society in rising unemployment, crime, violence and the slow pace of scientific and technological development.</p><p>The PDP’s manifesto on education is reproduced below as a reference for assessing the party’s performance.</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This is the version of the education and science and technology sections available when this article was originally written. Later editions of the PDP manifesto used revised wording and targets. An INEC-hosted edition similarly promises free and compulsory basic education, improved access, better quality and increased enrolment.</span></p></blockquote><h2>PDP Objectives for Education</h2><p>The manifesto described education as an important social instrument for promoting national unity among Nigeria’s diverse peoples.</p><p>It stated that a PDP government would:</p><ol><li><p>ensure that the educational system was improved;</p></li><li><p>ultimately provide free and functional education at all levels;</p></li><li><p>integrate political and civic education into the formal education system, with emphasis on the Constitution, the state and democratic principles;</p></li><li><p>foster and expand education at all levels and in all fields of knowledge; and</p></li><li><p>encourage private and voluntary organisations to establish schools, subject to compliance with government policies.</p></li></ol><h2>Proposed Strategies for Education</h2><p>The PDP promised to pursue the following strategies:</p><ol><li><p>Promote pre-primary education by encouraging the establishment of private nursery schools so that every Nigerian child would have an opportunity to begin education at the nursery level.</p></li><li><p>Provide:</p><ul><li><p>free and compulsory primary education;</p></li><li><p>free and compulsory junior secondary education; and</p></li><li><p>free and qualitative senior secondary education.</p></li></ul></li><li><p>Expand the Unity School system as a model and an instrument for promoting national unity.</p></li><li><p>Encourage greater involvement of private individuals and organisations in the delivery of educational services, subject to government regulation.</p></li><li><p>Establish adult and continuing education centres to promote mass literacy among Nigerians.</p></li><li><p>Provide technical educational institutions with well-equipped workshops and adequate numbers of properly trained teachers.</p></li><li><p>Encourage the establishment of private universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, subject to government regulation.</p></li><li><p>Provide adequate funding for university education.</p></li><li><p>Improve the social and economic status of teachers and other education personnel through better conditions of service.</p></li><li><p>Provide free university education for students studying science, technology and medicine.</p></li><li><p>Provide Federal Government scholarships based on merit.</p></li><li><p>Provide libraries, laboratories and workshop facilities in schools and colleges.</p></li><li><p>Encourage universities to establish and operate consultancy units.</p></li><li><p>Guarantee academic freedom within the university system.</p></li><li><p>Encourage entrepreneurs to provide affordable hostel accommodation for university students.</p></li><li><p>Train more teachers and enforce the requirement that the Nigeria Certificate in Education should be the minimum qualification for primary school teachers.</p></li><li><p>Provide special educational facilities for the children of nomads.</p></li><li><p>Provide adequate facilities and trained personnel for learners with disabilities.</p></li></ol><h2>PDP Objectives for Science and Technology</h2><p>The manifesto also promised to:</p><ol><li><p>provide an adequate industrial base for rapid technological development and promote scientific and technological literacy among Nigerians;</p></li><li><p>encourage the acquisition, adoption, use and appreciation of scientific and technological inventions and methods in everyday life; and</p></li><li><p>promote appropriate technologies required for sustainable development.</p></li></ol><h2>Proposed Science and Technology Strategies</h2><p>The party promised to:</p><ol><li><p>provide facilities and create an environment suitable for promoting scientific and technological literacy;</p></li><li><p>encourage scientific and technological research institutions to develop simple tools and industrial equipment from locally available raw materials;</p></li><li><p>promote an enquiring and inventive spirit at every level of the education system;</p></li><li><p>encourage the development of a scientific and technological culture among Nigerians; and</p></li><li><p>accelerate the completion of iron, steel, gas and petrochemical plants under construction in the country.</p></li></ol><h2>How Well Were the Promises Fulfilled?</h2><p>The manifesto contained many attractive promises. However, a manifesto should not be judged by the beauty of its language. It should be judged by the extent to which its promises are translated into measurable improvements.</p><p>A fair assessment must also recognise that the Federal Government does not control every aspect of education. State and local governments, school proprietors, regulatory agencies, teachers, parents and communities all have important responsibilities.</p><p>Nevertheless, the party that controlled the Federal Government for 16 years had sufficient time and authority to provide national direction, strengthen institutions and demonstrate what was possible.</p><h2>Expansion of Access to Education</h2><p>The PDP administrations recorded some achievements in expanding access.</p><p>The Universal Basic Education Programme was introduced in 1999 to provide greater access to basic education. The Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act was subsequently enacted in 2004.</p><p>The National Open University of Nigeria was revived in 2002, giving more people an opportunity to obtain university education through open and distance learning.</p><p>There was also a considerable expansion in the number of public and private universities. By May 2015, the National Universities Commission reported that Nigeria had 61 approved private universities. Several new federal universities were also established during the later years of the PDP administration.</p><p>The establishment of more institutions created additional admission opportunities. It also partly fulfilled the manifesto’s promise to encourage private participation in education.</p><p>However, an increase in the number of schools and universities did not automatically produce an equal improvement in quality.</p><p>Many institutions struggled with inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, shortages of qualified personnel and limited research funding. Access expanded, but the quality and affordability of the education available remained uneven.</p><h2>Free and Functional Education</h2><p>The promise to provide free and functional education at all levels was not fully achieved.</p><p>Although basic education was declared free and compulsory, many families continued to pay for uniforms, books, transportation, examinations, levies and other school-related expenses.</p><p>The existence of a policy did not always mean that it was properly implemented. Millions of children remained outside formal schooling, particularly in poorer communities and parts of northern Nigeria.</p><p>The promise of free university education for all students of science, technology and medicine was also not fulfilled as a nationwide policy.</p><p>Tuition might have remained officially low or absent in some federal institutions, but students and their families still paid various charges and carried much of the cost of accommodation, books, transport and daily living.</p><h2>Funding and Industrial Disputes</h2><p>Adequate funding was one of the central promises in the manifesto, but it remained one of the most persistent sources of disagreement between the government and education workers.</p><p>Public universities experienced repeated strike actions over funding, university autonomy, staff welfare and the implementation of agreements between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.</p><p>Industrial action did not begin under the PDP, but it continued repeatedly during the party’s years in government. Research covering the democratic period shows that university strikes consumed a substantial number of academic days and repeatedly disrupted students’ programmes.</p><p>The long university strike of 2013 was a particularly strong indication that the relationship between the government and university workers had not improved sufficiently.</p><p>The restructuring of the Education Trust Fund into the Tertiary Education Trust Fund under the TETFund Act of 2011 was an important intervention. TETFund provided supplementary funding for infrastructure, research, staff development and libraries in public tertiary institutions.</p><p>However, supplementary intervention could not completely replace proper and consistent government funding.</p><h2>Teachers and Learning Conditions</h2><p>The manifesto promised to improve the social and economic position of education personnel and to train more teachers.</p><p>Some efforts were made through teacher-training programmes and the enforcement of the Nigeria Certificate in Education as the minimum teaching qualification at the basic-education level.</p><p>Nevertheless, many teachers continued to work in difficult conditions. Problems included irregular salaries in some states, limited opportunities for professional development, overcrowded classrooms and shortages of teaching materials.</p><p>The promise to provide libraries, laboratories and workshops in all schools and colleges was far from being achieved. Many public schools lacked basic facilities, while some institutions had laboratories that were poorly equipped or no longer functional.</p><h2>Science and Technology</h2><p>The manifesto recognised that national development required scientific literacy, research, innovation and industrial growth.</p><p>However, Nigeria’s scientific and technological development remained slow. Universities and research institutes produced valuable studies, but weak links between research, industry and government limited the practical application of many findings.</p><p>Major industrial projects, including the steel sector, did not develop as expected. Nigeria continued to depend heavily on imported equipment, manufactured goods and technologies.</p><p>The country produced many graduates in science and engineering, but it did not create enough research opportunities, industries or jobs in which their skills could be fully applied.</p><h2>Overall Assessment</h2><p>It would not be entirely correct to say that nothing was achieved during the PDP’s 16 years in government.</p><p>The period witnessed:</p><ul><li><p>the introduction and legal establishment of Universal Basic Education;</p></li><li><p>the revival of the National Open University of Nigeria;</p></li><li><p>the expansion of federal and private universities;</p></li><li><p>the establishment of TETFund in its present form;</p></li><li><p>increased private participation in education; and</p></li><li><p>various scholarship, teacher-training and school-development programmes.</p></li></ul><p>However, these achievements fell far below the broad promises contained in the manifesto.</p><p>The party promised free and functional education at all levels, adequate university funding, improved conditions for teachers, properly equipped schools, affordable student accommodation, mass literacy and rapid scientific and technological development.</p><p>By 2015, many of these promises had either not been fulfilled or had been implemented only partially.</p><p>The appropriate judgement may therefore not be that the PDP achieved nothing, but that its performance did not match either the length of time it spent in power or the ambition of its manifesto.</p><p>In that sense, the verdict remained: <strong>some progress, but still far too poor.</strong></p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>This article was originally written while the PDP still controlled the Federal Government. The party lost the presidency in 2015 and has remained outside the federal executive since then.</p><p>The update is important because the education problems discussed in the article did not disappear with the change of political party. Funding disputes, strikes, inadequate school facilities, teacher shortages, poor learning outcomes and the large number of out-of-school children have continued under later governments.</p><p>Recent World Bank estimates indicate that approximately 17.1 million Nigerian children aged 5–14 are out of school. The Bank also estimates that although a Nigerian child may expect to complete about 10.2 years of schooling by age 18, the amount actually learnt is equivalent to only about five years of effective education.</p><p>These continuing problems do not remove the PDP’s responsibility for its record between 1999 and 2015. They show, however, that Nigeria’s education crisis is deeper than the failure of one political party.</p><p>As the next election cycle approach, every party seeking power should be required to present clear, measurable and properly funded education plans. Citizens should also compare those promises with actual results rather than allowing manifestos to be forgotten immediately after elections.</p><p>Education should not be treated merely as a campaign promise. It should remain one of the main standards by which every government is judged.</p></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLCYbEbyNLZBqYO8gG0syUdWKeUuFLB9t21ccHkMIgY7jQzNJsza2GcIv-6LswSRDhnBi7CEKSRrwlDjRlFcyEpsNvhjWWyLSl2xta3z0_F8XfAnEKXXsmHC5dXp0YPJJli5jfNNDok4/s1600/images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PDP Umbrella Logo" border="0" height="400" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLCYbEbyNLZBqYO8gG0syUdWKeUuFLB9t21ccHkMIgY7jQzNJsza2GcIv-6LswSRDhnBi7CEKSRrwlDjRlFcyEpsNvhjWWyLSl2xta3z0_F8XfAnEKXXsmHC5dXp0YPJJli5jfNNDok4/s400/images.jpg" title="PDP" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peoples Democratic Party Logo</td></tr> </tbody></table> </div>

PDP Manifesto on Education: Promises, Progress and Poor Performance

A basic litmus test for judging the performance of any government or political party is its achievement in the education sector. Education ...

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APC Manifesto on Education: Promises Before Power

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><h1>APC Manifesto on Education: Promises Before Power</h1><p class="isSelectedEnd">Nigerians were preparing for another general election, originally scheduled for 14 February 2015, to elect new leaders into various offices, including the presidency.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were the two major contenders. One of them was expected to form the next government. Therefore, their plans and objectives for education were important because they would provide standards by which the success or failure of the next government could be measured after four years in office.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC manifesto on education is reproduced here for the record. At the time, the party appeared to have a strong chance of forming the next government because of its growing popular appeal and promises to offer Nigerians an alternative to the PDP government.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Should the party eventually form the next government, these were its plans for education. The party was right when it stated that:</p><blockquote><p class="isSelectedEnd">“Our future depends on quality education.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p class="isSelectedEnd"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> The presidential election initially scheduled for 14 February 2015 was later postponed because of security concerns. It was eventually held on 28 March 2015. </span></p></blockquote><h2>Introduction</h2><blockquote><p class="isSelectedEnd">We must invest in quality teachers, schools and colleges to equip current and future generations with the knowledge and skills they need to gain employment, live productive lives and contribute to the welfare of their communities. Our future depends on it.</p></blockquote><h2>APC’s Roadmap for Free, Relevant and Quality Education</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC promised to:</p><ul data-spread="true"><li>make the right of every Nigerian child to receive free, relevant and quality education a reality through free and comprehensive primary and secondary education;</li><li>provide free tertiary education for students pursuing courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics;</li><li>provide free tertiary education for students studying education and pay them stipends before their employment as teachers;</li><li>create incentives and give special attention to the education of girls;</li><li>ensure that every child attending primary school is properly nourished and ready to learn by providing one free meal each day;</li><li>invest in properly equipping and staffing teacher-training colleges;</li><li>provide financial and career-progression incentives to attract and retain competent teachers;</li><li>restructure the curriculum from primary to tertiary level to ensure that students acquire the skills required for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation;</li><li>prepare young adults for future employment by expanding the emphasis on science and technology in colleges and universities; and</li><li>improve access to technical and vocational education so that Nigerians could acquire skills for employment in different fields.</li></ul><p class="isSelectedEnd">These were ambitious promises. They touched on some of the most serious problems facing Nigerian education: access, quality, teacher development, school feeding, girls’ education, unemployment and the weak connection between schooling and the needs of the labour market.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">At the time, the manifesto presented the APC as a party that understood that education was not merely about increasing the number of schools. It was also about ensuring that students received useful knowledge, practical skills and proper preparation for employment and national development. </p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The important question was whether the party would fulfil these promises if Nigerians gave it the opportunity to govern.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC eventually won the 2015 presidential election. Muhammadu Buhari became president and completed two terms in office between 2015 and 2023. Another APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, won the 2023 presidential election and has continued the party’s control of the Federal Government. </p><p class="isSelectedEnd">More than eleven years after the APC first came to power, it is now possible to compare the promises above with what the party achieved.</p><h2>Free Primary and Secondary Education</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The promise to make free and comprehensive primary and secondary education a reality for every Nigerian child has not been fully achieved.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Nigeria already had a policy of free and compulsory basic education before the APC took office. However, implementation remained inconsistent across states.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Many parents continued to pay for uniforms, books, transportation, examinations, learning materials and different school levies. In some communities, the absence of nearby schools, insecurity, poverty and shortages of teachers prevented children from benefiting from the policy.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The continued presence of millions of out-of-school children is perhaps the clearest indication that universal access has not been achieved. The Federal Ministry of Education’s current reform programme estimates that approximately 15 million Nigerian children remain outside school, while UBEC officials have placed the figure at about 17 million.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Therefore, while free basic education remains an official policy, it has not yet become a practical reality for every Nigerian child.</p><h2>The Free Meal-a-Day Programme</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The provision of one free meal each day was one of the clearest promises in the manifesto, and it was one of the promises that the APC government attempted to implement.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme was introduced as part of the government’s Social Investment Programme in 2016.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">By 2018, the Federal Government reported that the programme was providing meals to more than 8.2 million pupils in approximately 45,394 public primary schools across 24 states. It also reportedly engaged more than 80,000 cooks.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The programme was important because it aimed to improve children’s nutrition, increase school attendance and support local farmers and food suppliers.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">However, it did not cover every child attending primary school as the manifesto had promised. Its implementation also differed across states, and concerns were raised at different times about funding, continuity, monitoring, the quality of meals and the accuracy of beneficiary figures.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The school-feeding programme can therefore be regarded as a major attempt to fulfil the manifesto, but not as the complete achievement of the original promise.</p><h2>Free Tertiary Education for STEM Students</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC promised free tertiary education for students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">This was not implemented as a nationwide programme.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Federal universities continued to be officially described as tuition-free, but students still paid registration charges and other institutional fees. They also had to meet the costs of accommodation, transportation, books, feeding and other needs.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The promise was not simply that federal universities would remain tuition-free. It specifically offered free tertiary education to students pursuing STEM courses. No comprehensive national programme was established to provide this benefit to every qualified STEM student.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The later introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has provided financial support to students, but a loan is different from free education. Beneficiaries are expected to repay the assistance according to the conditions of the programme.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The student-loan scheme may improve access to higher education, but it should not be presented as the fulfilment of the 2015 promise of free tertiary education.</p><h2>Education Students and Teacher Stipends</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The party also promised free tertiary education for students studying education, together with stipends before their employment as teachers.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">This promise was not implemented as a general national policy.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">There were teacher-training programmes, recruitment exercises and different forms of support at federal and state levels. However, students studying education did not generally receive free tertiary education and regular stipends simply because they were preparing to become teachers.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Nigeria has continued to struggle to attract and retain qualified teachers, especially in rural communities and subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, technical education and special education.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Recent programmes such as the Federal Ministry of Education’s teacher-training platforms may contribute to professional development, but they do not amount to the original promise of free education and stipends for all education students.</p><h2>Education of Girls</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC manifesto promised to create incentives and give special attention to girls’ education.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">One important intervention was the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, introduced by the Federal Government in partnership with the World Bank in 2020.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The programme was designed to improve secondary-school opportunities for girls, particularly in states with high numbers of out-of-school girls and low transition rates into secondary education. It included school construction and rehabilitation, water and sanitation facilities, digital skills, life skills and measures intended to reduce the social barriers preventing girls from remaining in school.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">In 2023, the programme was expanded with the aim of reaching approximately 8.6 million girls.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">This represents meaningful action towards the promise of giving special attention to girls’ education. However, challenges such as poverty, early marriage, insecurity, inadequate facilities and cultural resistance continue to prevent many girls from completing their education.</p><h2>Curriculum Reform</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC promised to restructure the curriculum from primary to tertiary level so that students could acquire skills for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">There have been several curriculum discussions and reforms since 2015. The government has also introduced policies aimed at increasing digital literacy, vocational skills and the connection between education and employment.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">In 2025, the Federal Government announced another major review of the national curriculum. The stated objectives included reducing subject overload, promoting skills development and aligning education more closely with national and global needs.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">However, changing a curriculum document is only the beginning. Successful curriculum reform also requires trained teachers, appropriate textbooks, well-equipped schools, laboratories, workshops, electricity, internet access and proper supervision.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Without these, a good curriculum may exist on paper without producing meaningful changes in the classroom.</p><h2>Technical and Vocational Education</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">There were also attempts to improve technical and vocational education.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Project was approved in 2020 to strengthen Nigeria’s skills-development system and improve training for employment in both the formal and informal sectors.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">More recent federal programmes have similarly placed greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a means of preparing young Nigerians for employment and entrepreneurship.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">These initiatives reflect the original manifesto’s concern about vocational skills. Nevertheless, Nigeria continues to produce many graduates who lack practical experience or struggle to find employment.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Technical colleges also remain poorly funded or unattractive to many students and parents. Until vocational education receives the same respect, investment and public recognition as university education, its potential will remain limited.</p><h2>Quality Teachers and Teacher-Training Colleges</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">The promise to invest in teacher-training colleges and provide incentives for qualified teachers was important because no education system can perform better than the quality of its teachers.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Some teacher-development programmes have been introduced, but the conditions of many teachers have not improved sufficiently.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Teachers in some states have experienced delayed salaries, poor working conditions, overcrowded classrooms and limited opportunities for professional development. Many schools, especially in rural areas, continue to experience shortages of qualified teachers.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The promise of financial and career incentives capable of attracting and retaining the best teachers has therefore been only partly addressed.</p><h2>Has the APC Fulfilled Its Education Manifesto?</h2><p class="isSelectedEnd">It would be unfair to say that nothing was done.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The APC governments introduced or supported programmes in school feeding, girls’ education, student loans, vocational training, curriculum reform, digital learning and teacher development.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">Some of these interventions have benefited millions of Nigerians.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">However, the main promises were much broader than the programmes eventually implemented.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The manifesto promised:</p><ul data-spread="false"><li>free and comprehensive primary and secondary education for every Nigerian child;</li><li>free tertiary education for STEM students;</li><li>free education and stipends for students studying education;</li><li>a free daily meal for every primary-school child;</li><li>properly equipped teacher-training colleges;</li><li>strong incentives to attract and retain good teachers; and</li><li>an education system that would prepare students for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.</li></ul><p class="isSelectedEnd">By July 2026, most of these promises had either been partly fulfilled, implemented on a limited scale or not fulfilled at all.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The party deserves credit for programmes such as school feeding, AGILE, vocational-skills initiatives and student loans. However, programmes should not be confused with complete results.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The continued existence of millions of out-of-school children, poorly equipped schools, teacher shortages, graduate unemployment and weak learning outcomes shows that Nigeria is still far from the free, relevant and quality education promised in 2015.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The manifesto was correct in stating that Nigeria’s future depends on quality education.</p><p class="isSelectedEnd">The question, more than eleven years later, is whether the political commitment and investment have been equal to the importance of that statement.</p><p>Manifestos should not be forgotten after elections. They should be preserved, revisited and used to hold governments accountable for the promises through which they obtained the support of the people.</p></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiFT6rEd-wfZcpVeh0lpCGCZVvRHo35ibz4PjKwkBn4xdn6-g3IHTUrK9IDoxlV1yU3YZd9F47b1FgFNjKc2HsoCiiB6_R4uAbJS99CASy07gYAirbGsqmnFARS92wHVZJyN5OG-LLgM/s1600/index.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="APC broom logo" border="0" height="359" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiFT6rEd-wfZcpVeh0lpCGCZVvRHo35ibz4PjKwkBn4xdn6-g3IHTUrK9IDoxlV1yU3YZd9F47b1FgFNjKc2HsoCiiB6_R4uAbJS99CASy07gYAirbGsqmnFARS92wHVZJyN5OG-LLgM/s1600/index.jpg" title="APC Logo" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Progressive Congress Logo</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /></div> </div>

APC Manifesto on Education: Promises Before Power

APC Manifesto on Education: Promises Before Power Nigerians were preparing for another general election, originally scheduled for 14 Februa...

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Over 500 Students Reportedly Killed in North-East Insurgency

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects a January 2015 estimate released by a northern students’ association. The figure was not presented as an official government death toll but offered an indication of the effect of the insurgency on students and education in the region.</span></p></blockquote><h2>Association Estimates Student Deaths</h2><p>Indications emerged yesterday of the estimated number of students who may have lost their lives to the insurgency affecting the North-East of Nigeria.</p><p>According to the Northern Students Association of Nigeria, more than 500 students had been killed in direct attacks on schools and students in the region within the previous three years.</p><p>The figure excluded a significant number of students who were receiving treatment for different degrees of injury, some of which were critical.</p><p>The leader of the association, Musa Terrang, said the group compiled the figure through its committees working with the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross.</p><h2>Attacks on Schools and Students</h2><p>Boko Haram, the group blamed for many of the attacks, regarded Western education as sinful and repeatedly targeted schools, teachers and students in the troubled region.</p><p>At Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, 59 boys lost their lives when armed attackers raided the school at night in February 2014. Some of the students were shot, while others were burnt to death in their dormitories.</p><p>In April of the same year, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State. At the time this article was written, most of the girls had yet to regain their freedom or return to their families.</p><h2>The Effect on Education</h2><p>Schools, teachers and students had borne a heavy part of the insurgency’s impact.</p><p>The group’s hostility towards Western education made educational institutions important targets. Apart from the loss of life, numerous schools were closed or destroyed, teachers fled affected communities, and many parents became afraid to send their children to school.</p><p>In the absence of a comprehensive official figure showing the full impact of the insurgency on education, the estimate released by the students’ association offered an indication of the scale of damage suffered by the sector in the region.</p><h2>Update</h2><p>The attacks did not end with the period covered by the original report. School abductions and attacks later spread to other parts of northern Nigeria.</p><p>In 2024, Amnesty International reported that 82 of the 276 Chibok girls were still believed to be in captivity and that at least 1,700 children had been taken in 17 documented mass school abductions since the Chibok attack.</p><p>UNICEF also reported that 19 attacks on schools were documented in 2022 and 2023, resulting in the closure of 113 schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.</p><p>The figures confirm that insecurity has not only taken lives but has also denied many children their right to education.</p></div> </div>

Over 500 Students Reportedly Killed in North-East Insurgency

Editorial note: This article reflects a January 2015 estimate released by a northern students’ association. The figure was not presented a...

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Platforms for Free and Flexible Online Learning

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post was first written during the early growth of Massive Open Online Courses. Some platforms and payment arrangements have since changed. The list now includes MOOC platforms, free educational resources and an online university.</span></p></blockquote><p>Learning is a continuous process—it never ends.</p><p>Over the years, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other online learning platforms have emerged to provide lifelong learning opportunities to people in different parts of the world where internet access is available.</p><p>They provide endless opportunities to learn new things, acquire new skills and remain up to date in one’s area of interest.</p><p>In case you are wondering what Massive Open Online Courses are, MOOCs are online courses offered to a large or unrestricted number of learners over the internet. Many can be studied free of charge, although certificates and graded assessments may require payment.</p><h2>Benefits of Online Learning</h2><p>The benefits of taking online courses are numerous. Apart from gaining knowledge, learners enjoy flexibility and opportunities to interact and share ideas through discussion forums.</p><p>From my personal experience with edX, people with busy schedules can also learn at their own pace through self-paced or archived courses.</p><p>Learners may earn certificates that can support career development and strengthen their CVs, although a certificate alone does not guarantee employment.</p><p>There are several platforms where learners can enrol in courses of interest. For a start, I would personally recommend edX, where I earned several certificates from different courses.</p><h2><a href="https://www.edx.org/">edX</a></h2><p>edX offers online courses and programmes from universities and other recognised institutions.</p><p>Many courses can be audited free of charge, giving learners access to lectures, readings and some practice materials. Learners who want graded assignments and verified certificates generally need to enrol in the paid track.</p><h2><a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">Khan Academy</a></h2><p>Khan Academy is not strictly a MOOC platform, but it is one of the most useful free online learning resources.</p><p>Learners can study Mathematics, Science, Computing, Economics, History and several other subjects through videos, articles and practice exercises. It also allows learners to study at their own pace.</p><h2><a href="https://www.uopeople.edu/">University of the People</a></h2><p>University of the People is an online university rather than a MOOC platform.</p><p>It describes itself as tuition-free because students are not charged for instruction. However, learners pay an application fee and assessment fees for the courses they complete. Financial assistance may be available to eligible students.</p><p>The university provides an opportunity to study for recognised online degree programmes without the cost normally associated with conventional universities.</p><h2><a href="https://iversity.org/">iversity</a></h2><p>iversity offers online courses in different subject areas, including some free MOOCs and paid professional-development courses.</p><p>I undertook two courses on the platform and would also recommend it. The platform is now part of Springer Nature, but it continues to provide online learning opportunities.</p><h2><a href="https://nou.edu.ng/">National Open University of Nigeria</a></h2><p>The National Open University of Nigeria provides a large collection of digital course materials covering different university programmes.</p><p>The materials can be read online or downloaded for educational use. They may be useful to students, teachers and anyone seeking additional learning resources.</p><h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/learning">YouTube Learning</a></h2><p>YouTube is not a conventional MOOC platform, but it contains a large amount of educational content.</p><p>Learners can search for subjects, topics or skills and find video lessons, explanations and tutorials. YouTube also provides organised courses and learning playlists for topics requiring more than a single video.</p><p>However, because anyone can publish on YouTube, learners should consider the qualifications of the creator and confirm important information through reliable sources.</p><h2><a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a></h2><p>Coursera is one of the largest MOOC platforms, offering courses, specialisations and degrees from universities and companies worldwide.</p><p>Many courses can be audited for free, while certificates and full programmes typically require payment.</p><h2><a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/">FutureLearn</a></h2><p>FutureLearn provides online courses from universities and cultural institutions around the world.</p><p>Learners can access many courses for free for a limited time, with options to upgrade for certificates and extended access.</p><h2><a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Udemy</a></h2><p>Udemy is an online learning marketplace where instructors offer courses on a wide range of topics.</p><p>While many courses are paid, there are also numerous free courses available, especially for beginners.</p><h2><a href="https://www.open.edu/openlearn">OpenLearn (The Open University)</a></h2><p>OpenLearn offers free courses and educational content from The Open University.</p><p>It provides short courses, articles and interactive learning materials across various subjects.</p><h2>More Learning Opportunities</h2><p>These are only a few of the many online learning platforms and educational resources available on the World Wide Web.</p><p>edX also made the software behind its learning platform open-source. The Open edX platform now allows universities, governments and other organisations to establish and manage their own online learning sites.</p><p>As online learning continues to expand, more courses and platforms will become available.</p><p>I will continue to add useful platforms to this list as I discover them.</p><p><strong>Happy learning!</strong></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> </div>

Platforms for Free and Flexible Online Learning

Editorial note: This post was first written during the early growth of Massive Open Online Courses. Some platforms and payment arrangement...

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Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><p>On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donations and pledges totalling about ₦98.165 million from different individuals and groups. The PDP governors contributed ₦22 million—the full cost of the nomination and expression-of-interest forms. (<a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/2015-jonathan-gets-n98-165m-donations-for-nomination-form/">thenationonlineng.net</a>)</p><p>Less than two months later, on 20 December 2014, the governors again announced another large donation during a fundraising dinner at the Presidential Villa for Jonathan’s re-election campaign.</p><p>Each of the 21 PDP governors pledged ₦50 million, bringing their combined contribution to ₦1.05 billion. The entire fundraising event reportedly generated more than ₦21 billion. (<a href="https://www.icirnigeria.org/pdp-raise-n21-billion-for-jonathans-re-election-bid/">icirnigeria.org</a>)</p><p>This happened at a time of supposed austerity, when Nigerians were constantly reminded of falling oil prices and the need for governments to reduce spending.</p><p>Yet, at that same period, politicians appeared to be on a spending spree.</p><p>It may have been difficult to determine exactly what governors belonging to the opposition All Progressives Congress were contributing to their own party. However, the huge sums openly pledged by the PDP governors raised important questions about the sources of campaign donations and the priorities of political officeholders.</p><p>The governors and their supporters might insist that the donations came from personal or privately raised funds. Still, where public officials make such large political donations while workers in their states remain unpaid, citizens have every right to ask questions.</p><p>Whenever it is election season, governors seem to know where and how to raise money for campaigns. But when it is time to pay workers’ salaries and allowances, the familiar response is:</p><blockquote><p>“There is no money.”</p></blockquote><p>Several governors who made generous donations at the fundraising event had workers in their states complaining about unpaid salaries and allowances.</p><h2>The Situation of Teachers</h2><p>Benue State was particularly known at the time for disputes over the payment of workers and teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the state embarked on a prolonged strike over the government’s failure to implement the ₦18,000 national minimum wage. Public primary schools remained closed for about seven to eight months while the disagreement continued. (<a href="https://www.lawyersalertng.org/post/benue-of-primary-schools-teachers-strikes-and-wages">lawyersalertng.org</a>)</p><p>Teachers and other workers in several states, including Abia, Plateau, Ondo and Akwa Ibom, also complained at different times about delayed salaries and unpaid entitlements.</p><p>In Ebonyi State, teachers employed under a Universal Basic Education programme reportedly complained that they had not received their allowances or salaries for several months.</p><p>In Niger State, the planned recruitment of additional teachers in early 2014 was quietly suspended. Whether the decision resulted solely from a lack of funds may be difficult to establish, but the cancellation reflected the low priority often given to teacher recruitment and school staffing.</p><p>The contrast was difficult to ignore.</p><p>Governments claimed that there was no money to employ teachers, pay salaries or improve schools, yet enormous sums could be raised once election campaigns began.</p><p>It appeared that politicians were more prepared to save or raise fortunes for political activities than to meet the basic responsibilities of government.</p><p>Sadly, the education sector often became an easy target.</p><p>Teachers could be told stories, given promises and expected to continue working without pay. They were often treated as though demanding their salaries was an act of disloyalty rather than a legitimate request for money they had already earned.</p><h2>Teachers Are Not Doing the Government a Favour</h2><p>A teacher who goes to work every day without receiving a salary still has rent to pay, children to feed, transport costs to meet and other responsibilities.</p><p>How can such a teacher concentrate fully in the classroom?</p><p>How can the government demand dedication, professionalism and improved examination results from someone who has worked for months without receiving a salary?</p><p>The failure to pay teachers does not affect teachers alone. It affects their families, students and the wider education system.</p><p>A demoralised teacher is less likely to prepare lessons properly, purchase teaching materials or remain committed to the profession. Some may leave teaching entirely for other work that offers greater financial security.</p><p>Meanwhile, many politicians do not send their children to the same public schools affected by their decisions. Their children may attend expensive private schools or institutions outside Nigeria, while the public education system they are responsible for continues to decline.</p><p>Perhaps that is why they do not always feel the consequences of their actions.</p><h2>What Does Our Spending Say About Our Priorities?</h2><p>A government’s priorities are often revealed more clearly by how it spends money than by what it says in speeches.</p><p>A governor may publicly describe education as the foundation of development. But when teachers are unpaid, classrooms are overcrowded and schools lack essential facilities while political campaigns receive generous funding, the real priority becomes obvious.</p><p>Successful nations invest seriously in education. They do not treat the payment of teachers or the provision of school facilities as favours to citizens.</p><p>Education is a responsibility of government and an investment in the future of society.</p><p>If the truth must be told, Nigeria does not have an unlimited amount of time to correct these problems. A country that neglects teachers is gradually destroying the people who are expected to prepare its next generation.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>More than a decade after this article was first written, the names of the political leaders have changed, but the problem has not completely disappeared.</p><p>Nigeria’s national minimum wage was increased to ₦70,000 in 2024. However, reports in 2025 indicated that several state governments had yet to implement it fully for their workers, including teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory went on strike for more than three months over unpaid salaries and arrears. Teachers in Abia State also declared a strike over unpaid entitlements and concerns about the implementation of the minimum wage, while teachers in Taraba reportedly faced several months of salary arrears. (<a href="https://businessday.ng/news/article/unpaid-salaries-strikes-derail-nigerias-education-goals/">businessday.ng</a>)</p><p>At the same time, political parties and candidates continued to spend enormous amounts on nomination forms, campaigns, rallies and other election activities.</p><p>The lesson remains unchanged: whenever political leaders can find money for elections but cannot find money to pay teachers, the problem is not always the complete absence of resources. Sometimes, it is a question of priorities.</p><p>Teachers should not have to beg for salaries they have already earned.</p><p>Our politicians need a change of heart.</p></div> </div>

Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donati...

Read more »