The proprietor of Preston International School, Akure, Dr Toyin Ajayi, has decried poor funding of education in Nigeria, warning that the situation continues to undermine quality learning across all levels of the sector.
Ajayi raised the concern on Wednesday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at a leadership training programme organised by the Servant Leader Foundation for 83 students drawn from six secondary schools in the state.
He identified inadequate funding as a major challenge confronting education in Nigeria from primary to tertiary levels.
According to him, insufficient budgetary allocation to education has contributed to poor teacher welfare, declining academic standards, and a shortage of qualified personnel across primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
He called on the Federal and State Governments to significantly increase investment in the education sector, warning that Nigeria’s current spending level remains far below global benchmarks.
“The problem we have as a nation is that we find it difficult to move on to ensure that we have comparable standards globally. Funding is a major issue,” he said.
Ajayi warned that without adequate investment in education, Nigeria would continue to struggle with retaining skilled teachers and lecturers, adding that poor remuneration has triggered an exodus of professionals to other sectors and countries.
He also called for urgent reforms in curriculum design, noting that the current system overly emphasises memorisation rather than the creativity and problem-solving skills required in modern education systems.
“In many of our marking schemes in Nigeria, it is just one answer. Whereas in international curricula, you can have several different ways of answering the same question and still get marks because it shows understanding,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Acting Team Lead of the Servant Leader Foundation, Damilola Oluwatosin, said the training was designed to equip young people with leadership skills and inspire them through real-life stories of resilience and achievement.
She said the programme aimed to help students overcome limitations and pursue their ambitions with confidence.
“We want these young students to understand that the challenges they are facing are temporary and that others have overcome similar situations,” she said.
Also speaking, a banking expert, Oluwadamilola Ipinmoye, called on governments, private organisations and individuals to support youths through mentorship, vocational training and financial assistance.
She noted that many young Nigerians possess talents and ideas that could transform society if properly nurtured, stressing that education remains the most powerful tool for national development.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of WinExpress Technology, Chris Ombeh, emphasised the need for stronger youth engagement in innovation, noting that Nigeria’s future depends on how well young people are empowered and guided.
He said technology and artificial intelligence are neutral tools whose impact depends on their application, urging policymakers to direct youths towards productive use of technology for national development.
Ombeh further called for the integration of technology and artificial intelligence into the school curriculum, saying Nigeria must adapt quickly to global technological advancements to avoid being left behind.
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