Twenty Million Left Behind: Nigeria’s Broken Education Policies

- Nigeria's population is now more than 230 million, and more than half are under the age of 18. Yet over 20 million children are currently out of school. That means one in every three Nigerian children between ages six and 15 will not receive any formal education. This level of exclusion weakens social mobility and threatens the country's long-term security education is the foundation of economic opportunity and national stability. When access to education declines, opportunity shrinks, poverty expands, and political and social instability are almost certain. Since 1960, Nigeria has introduced multiple education reforms, and while each effort expanded access, poor planning, ineffective coordination, and underfunding have undermined those reforms. While the Global Benchmark for National Education budget sits between 15 to 20%, Nigeria's education budget sits at 7%. The result of this underfunding is overcrowded classrooms, unpaid teachers, and high dropout rates after decades of repeated and failed reform attempts. What can be done differently to ensure the Nigeria's education system achieves genuine and lasting transformation across Africa? There are no shortages of examples to show what works. Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Liberia have expanded access through public-private partnerships and community-based schooling. Tunisia and S Shells have proven that steady investments and professional teacher developments can sustain high enrollment rates. These experiences show that progress depends on political commitment, innovation, and coherence planning For Nigeria, the path to meaningful education reform must combine strong government leadership with active, civic and private participation. That partnership must focus first on rebuilding the foundation of learning through stronger teacher training. Proven models such as adult best should be expanded nationwide, and education funding must be secured through reliable long-term frameworks that remain stable across political cycles. If and when Nigeria gets education rights, each additional year of schooling can lift millions out of poverty, reduce migration pressures, and help strengthen the country's political and societal fabric. Educating Nigeria's youth offers the opportunity to strengthen Africa's foundation for global growth and contributes to global prosperity and educated and empowered youth is a vision that may well define the futures of Nigeria, the African continent, and the world.