By David Onwuchekwa
Education remains the bedrock of every genuine development. No nation has ever advanced beyond the quality of education it gives to its citizens.
If Nigeria must rise to its full potential, the time has come for the government to make education not just affordable but completely free and qualitative at all levels.
The argument is simple: funds siphoned daily by the political class through corruption, inflated contracts, ghost projects, and outright looting are more than enough to finance free education across the country. What is lacking is not resources but political will.
With judicious use of public funds, the Nigerian child, whether from a privileged home or the poorest village, can access the same quality of education without the crushing weight of financial barriers.
The benefits of such an investment are enormous. An educated society is a prosperous and enlightened one. Free and quality education would reduce poverty, curb crime, empower the youth, and stimulate innovation.
Beyond conventional academics, technical education and skills acquisition must also be given equal priority. Not every child will be a professor or doctor, but every child deserves the chance to acquire skills that can guarantee self-reliance and productivity.
However, while funding is crucial, reforms in the school system are equally important.
One cancer eating deep into Nigeria’s educational sector is the evil of “sorting”, the practice of bribing lecturers to gain admission, pass examinations, or graduate with undeserved grades.
This vice has turned campuses into breeding grounds for future corrupt leaders, normalizing dishonesty as the path to success.
Graduates produced under such a rotten culture often lack the competence and integrity needed to move society forward.
The government must take deliberate steps to dismantle this culture of academic corruption. Transparent admission processes, strict penalties for both students and lecturers involved in sorting, and a culture of meritocracy must be entrenched in the system.
A Nigeria where education is free, qualitative, corruption-free, and diversified into skills acquisition will be a Nigeria where every citizen has a fair shot at success. Such a society will not only reduce inequality but also lay the foundation for a new generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators who will drive the nation toward greatness.
The political class owes the nation this responsibility: to redirect the resources of the country away from waste and corruption, and into the minds and futures of its children. Only then can Nigeria truly begin to rise.
