Confronting the Challenges in the Education Sector in Nigeria

Objective: In this study, we investigated the reason for the continuous cooperate agitations concerning the state of the educational system in Nigeria despite the unflinching efforts of policy makers to establishing better educational policies as they have been time and again formulated, reformulated and implemented; and at other times, replaced with others purported to be better with huge amount of resources sunk into it. It is imperative to note that education is an invaluable tool for the attainment of national development and Nigeria, as it is the world over, embraced it more than four decades ago. Method: This paper reviewed some conceptual issues affecting the educational system in Nigeria from its inception, examined the different polices that have been formulated and their implementation patterns. Results: The study discovered that frequent changes are often made on the educational policies with implementation patterns haphazardly done. This has resulted to a dichotomy in regional approaches to educational policy formulation and implementation. Conclusion: Although concerted efforts have been made overtime to bring about a functional educational policy so as to attain accelerated national development, these efforts have not been able to address the goals of the Nigerian educational system due to abrupt changes in policies without implementing them to a logical conclusion as to ascertain their merits and demerits. Recommendations: This paper, therefore, recommends that the Nigerian Government should carefully select a pragmatic policy which would run uniformly throughout the country. Also, that the culture of continuity be entrenched in the policy formulation and implementation processes. Again, proper policy implementation should be religiously followed using credible and relevant professionals who should be chosen without ethnic sentiments.