Nigeria education overhaul faces economist pushback
Nigeria's plan to scrap its 6-3-3-4 education system is drawing criticism from economists who argue the policy shift ignores the root causes of a dropout crisis affecting over 20 million pupils.
The federal government plans to abolish the country's long-standing 6-3-3-4 education framework on July 1, 2026, replacing it with a continuous 12-year primary and secondary model. The policy shift targets a severe human capital drain, with more than 20 million pupils dropping out before reaching senior secondary education.
However, the proposed structural reform is facing pushback from economic experts who warn it misdiagnoses the problem. Innocent Eleazu, a professor and former president of the Nigerian Association of Economists, advised the government to withdraw the plan, arguing that the existing system's structure is sound.
Eleazu attributed the failure of the current system to gross mismanagement rather than its design. He noted that despite significant public investment in school infrastructure, laboratories, and computers, a total lack of security and maintenance policies led to widespread vandalism and theft. “Right now, the problem of primary and post primary education in Nigeria, is not restructuring, it is the provision of better learning environment, laboratory, infrastructure, qualified teachers, among others, as most of the schools are dilapidated and lacks teachers,” he said.
The critique highlights broader concerns about Nigeria's fiscal priorities and resource allocation. Eleazu argued that policymakers routinely allow political considerations to override economic decisions, failing to maximize the value of the country's scarce resources. He questioned the logic of introducing a new education programme while the administration battles pressing economic and political crises, recommending instead that budgetary allocations focus on securing existing educational assets.
Eleazu did, however, offer support for separate reforms targeting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He noted that shifting the one-year mandatory programme toward skills acquisition would likely increase national productivity and employment by equipping graduates for trades rather than waiting for white-collar jobs. He urged the government to retain the programme's military training component to instill discipline.
