by Ronke Onadeko
Recently, the Federal Government announced plans to end the split between Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, citing over 20 million student dropouts before reaching senior secondary.
As someone who has many caps on as a stakeholder in Education, I worked in Lagos State public schools for over 5 years in a voluntary CSR capacity, a children’s mentor in private and public secondary schools in and outside Lagos state, I’ve seen firsthand both the laudable attempts, challenges and the opportunities.
In urban areas like Lagos, gaps in infrastructure, monitoring and teacher quality are fillable with targeted interventions. But in rural areas, the situation is far more complex, weak foundations in primary education often mean students are unprepared long before they reach secondary school.
Problems Identified
– Teacher quality gaps: Many primary teachers lack adequate training.
– Resource utilisation and shortages: Overcrowded classrooms, poor infrastructure, and limited or unused learning materials.
– Urban–rural divide: CSR and NGO support is concentrated in cities, leaving rural schools behind.
Government’s Plan
Ending the JSS–SSS split may reduce bottlenecks, but it risks being a structural fix without addressing the root causes.
My Observations
Without stronger primary education, dropout rates will persist.
-Nigeria has a large body of unemployed young graduates who could be mobilized into teaching if properly trained and incentivized.
Other African countries offer lessons:
Ghana professionalised teacher training with a B.Ed. requirement and mentorship frameworks.
Kenya introduced a Competency-Based Curriculum to align learning with employability.
Policy Suggestions
- Upskill unemployed graduates into teaching through short-term training and structured fellowships.
- Incentivise teaching with stipends, housing, and career pathways.
- Embed competency-based learning to prepare students for real-world work.
- Strengthen monitoring of learning outcomes, not just enrollment numbers.
Nigeria must nurture the roots of teachers, classrooms, and early learning before trimming the branches.
I invite educators, policymakers, and CSR leaders to share their thoughts: How can Nigeria balance structural reform with foundational investment in teacher quality and primary education?
It would be innovative if an emergency primary health and education fund are made available with targeted and measurable goals for building a strong foundation of a new and stronger youth population for Nigeria’s future.
