By Law Ibitoye
A Professor of Educational Management at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof. Veronica Adesua, has called for increased education funding, improved teachers’ welfare, stronger school security and effective governance to address the challenges undermining Nigeria’s education system.
Adesua made the call on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti while delivering the university’s 110th inaugural lecture titled, “Bridging the Divide: Optimizing Educational Policy Implementation in Nigeria.”
She identified inadequate funding, insecurity, brain drain, political interference, poor infrastructure and socio-economic inequalities as major obstacles to effective educational policy implementation, warning that addressing the problems required sustained government commitment and coordinated action by relevant stakeholders.
The professor stressed the need for governments at all levels to prioritise education in their budgets, ensure the transparent utilisation of allocated funds and establish effective monitoring mechanisms to guarantee that policies and programmes translated into improved learning outcomes.
She identified disparities between urban and rural schools, weak institutional capacity at the state and local government levels, inadequate learning resources and poor maintenance culture as additional factors widening the educational gap across the country.
To address these challenges, Adesua advocated increased investment in school infrastructure, regular provision of instructional materials and stronger institutions capable of implementing and monitoring educational policies effectively.
On the persistent loss of skilled academic personnel to other countries and sectors, the don called for improved teachers’ welfare, better remuneration, favourable working conditions and regular professional development to retain qualified personnel and enhance the quality of teaching.
She also emphasised the need to insulate educational administration from political interference, recommending merit-based appointments for school administrators and education officials to promote professionalism, accountability and effective leadership.
Adesua further called for the expansion of information and communication technology facilities, particularly in rural and underserved communities, to bridge the digital divide and improve access to quality education.
She noted that providing digital facilities alone would not be sufficient without equipping teachers and school administrators with the skills required to deploy technology effectively in teaching, learning and school management.
Addressing the problem of educational inequality, the professor urged governments to introduce targeted interventions to reduce regional disparities, improve girls’ access to education and tackle the growing number of out-of-school children.
She stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration among governments, school authorities, parents, host communities and other stakeholders to improve school management, monitor students’ academic progress and ensure that vulnerable learners were not left behind.
On insecurity, Adesua recommended stronger collaboration among security agencies, local vigilante groups and community leaders to protect schools, particularly in conflict-prone areas.
She added that teachers and learners affected by insecurity should receive appropriate psychosocial support to help them cope with traumatic experiences and continue their education.
The don also advocated stronger public-private partnerships to mobilise additional resources for school infrastructure, teaching facilities and other critical needs, while urging governments to ensure that such partnerships complemented rather than replaced public investment in education.
She maintained that education remained fundamental to national development, economic growth and social cohesion, stressing that sustained funding, political will, competent leadership and accountability were essential to achieving meaningful reforms.
Adesua said bridging Nigeria’s educational divide required a comprehensive approach that tackled inadequate funding, insecurity, brain drain, poor infrastructure, unequal access to learning opportunities and weak institutional capacity.
She emphasised that effective implementation of educational policies, rather than policy formulation alone, was critical to improving the quality of education and ensuring that learners across the country had access to equitable and meaningful educational opportunities.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of EKSU, Professor Joseph Babatola, commended Adesua for the lecture and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to quality teaching, research, innovation and professional development. He said strengthening governance, empowering educators, leveraging technology and promoting inclusivity would help improve learning outcomes and support sustainable development.
Babatola also called on stakeholders to continue supporting the university, adding that its academic community would sustain efforts to produce research and innovations capable of addressing societal challenges.
