By Peace Udugba — The Daily Torch Media
More than 39 years after the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s most influential political figures, his commitment to education continues to raise an important question about the country’s future: could Nigeria’s persistent neglect of human capital be contributing to the insecurity, unemployment and social instability confronting the nation today?
Awolowo, who died on May 9, 1987, built much of his political philosophy around education, regional development and social welfare. His administration in the former Western Region introduced a free primary education programme in 1955, a policy that expanded educational opportunities for thousands of children.
Decades later, Nigeria continues to grapple with challenges that make his educational philosophy particularly relevant. From insecurity and youth unemployment to poverty and unequal access to quality schooling, the country faces difficult questions about whether it has invested enough in the people expected to shape its future.
The issue is no longer simply about remembering Awolowo’s achievements. It is about examining whether Nigeria has learnt the lessons his educational legacy offers.
AWOLOWO’S EDUCATION LEGACY AND NIGERIA’S MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
For Awolowo, education was more than a social service. It was an instrument of development, economic empowerment and social transformation.
His administration’s free primary education policy in the Western Region demonstrated an understanding that a population with access to education would be better positioned to participate in economic and civic life.
The policy was ambitious for its time, expanding access to schooling while placing considerable demands on public finances, infrastructure and the supply of teachers.
Although the programme faced implementation challenges, its historical significance remains part of Nigeria’s wider debate about education, leadership and development.
Today, the question is whether successive governments have sustained the commitment required to make quality education accessible to every Nigerian child, regardless of family income or geographical location.
When children lack access to effective schooling, the consequences can extend beyond the classroom. Limited educational opportunities can restrict employment prospects, reduce earning potential and deepen the cycle of poverty.
For a country seeking economic growth and lasting stability, these are challenges that cannot be ignored.
INSECURITY: THE PRICE OF LEAVING YOUNG PEOPLE BEHIND?
Nigeria’s security challenges have become a major concern for households, businesses, farmers, commuters and communities across different parts of the country.
Kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other forms of criminal violence have disrupted livelihoods, threatened lives and placed additional pressure on public institutions.
Education alone cannot explain these problems. Weak law enforcement, poverty, unemployment, the proliferation of weapons, poor governance and failures of accountability also contribute to insecurity.
Nevertheless, neglecting education and failing to create legitimate economic opportunities for young people can deepen existing vulnerabilities.
A young person who leaves school without marketable skills and faces prolonged unemployment may find it more difficult to escape poverty. In communities where legitimate opportunities are scarce, the risks associated with exploitation, recruitment into criminal networks and social unrest may increase.
This does not mean that uneducated or unemployed Nigerians are criminals. The overwhelming majority of people facing economic hardship do not engage in violence.
Rather, the argument is that a country that neglects education, skills development and employment weakens some of the social and economic foundations necessary for stability.
Nigeria cannot build lasting security while ignoring the educational and economic circumstances of vulnerable communities.
WHY SECURITY SPENDING ALONE CANNOT SOLVE NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS
When insecurity escalates, the immediate response is often to deploy security personnel, acquire equipment and intensify operations against criminal groups.
These measures may be necessary to protect lives and restore order. However, they cannot replace long-term investments in education, employment, healthcare and community development.
A sustainable security strategy must combine effective policing and intelligence gathering with policies that improve people’s living conditions and strengthen public trust.
Schools in vulnerable communities need qualified teachers, safe learning environments and adequate facilities. Young people who have left school need opportunities to acquire vocational and technical skills.
Farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs and small businesses also require an environment in which they can work without constant fear of violence or economic disruption.
The connection between education and security is therefore not a suggestion that schools can replace the police or the military. It is a recognition that national stability depends on several interconnected institutions working effectively.
A government that invests in both security and human development is better positioned to address immediate threats while reducing some of the underlying conditions that make communities vulnerable.
THE EDUCATION CRISIS THAT DEMANDS URGENT ATTENTION
Nigeria’s education challenges go beyond school enrolment.
The country must also confront questions about learning outcomes, teacher welfare, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure and the ability of graduates to find meaningful employment.
Getting children into school is only the first step. They must also receive an education that equips them with literacy, numeracy, critical thinking and practical skills.
Technical and vocational education deserves particular attention. Not every young person will pursue a university degree, but every young person should have a realistic opportunity to acquire skills that can support a productive livelihood.
Training in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, information technology and other practical fields can help broaden employment opportunities when programmes are aligned with genuine economic demand.
Government at all levels must therefore look beyond the announcement of education budgets and examine what public spending delivers.
Are classrooms properly equipped? Are teachers adequately supported? Are children learning? Are vocational programmes producing relevant skills? Can young people from low-income households realistically access quality education?
These are the questions that should guide the assessment of Nigeria’s educational priorities.
WHAT NIGERIA CAN LEARN FROM AWOLOWO
Awolowo’s legacy offers an opportunity to reconsider the relationship between public leadership, education and national development.
The first lesson is that education requires sustained commitment. A policy may begin with an ambitious announcement, but its success depends on funding, planning, effective implementation and accountability.
The second is that educational opportunity should not be determined solely by family wealth. Children from disadvantaged households need a fair chance to develop their abilities and contribute to society.
The third is that education policy must respond to the country’s changing economic realities. Expanding access to schools is important, but the quality and relevance of what students learn are equally significant.
Finally, political leaders must recognise that investments in human capital often produce benefits over many years. The results may not be immediately visible within a single electoral cycle, but the long-term consequences can shape productivity, innovation and social stability.
Remembering Awolowo should therefore involve more than praising his achievements. It should encourage a serious examination of the policies that shaped his administration, the limitations they encountered and the lessons that remain relevant to contemporary Nigeria.
THE COST OF NEGLECTING THE NEXT GENERATION
Nigeria’s future will be shaped partly by the opportunities available to the children growing up today.
A child denied quality education may face fewer choices in adulthood. A young person unable to acquire useful skills may struggle to secure decent work. A community without functioning schools and economic opportunities may find it harder to break out of persistent poverty.
These outcomes are not inevitable, but they become harder to reverse when governments fail to act.
The responsibility does not rest on government alone. Parents, communities, private organisations and civil society also have roles to play in supporting education and encouraging young people to pursue productive opportunities.
However, government remains central to establishing the policies, funding arrangements and institutions required to deliver education on a scale that reaches the population.
The challenge is to move beyond speeches, commemorations and political promises to measurable improvements in classrooms, teacher quality, learning outcomes and employment opportunities.
AWOLOWO’S LEGACY: WILL NIGERIA LEARN THE LESSON?
More than three decades after Awolowo’s death, Nigeria continues to debate the causes of its developmental challenges and the best ways to overcome them.
His commitment to education provides a useful historical reference point, but the task before the country is to develop practical solutions suited to present-day realities.
No single policy can eliminate insecurity, poverty or unemployment. Neither can education, by itself, guarantee national prosperity.
But without sustained investment in education, skills, social welfare and economic opportunity, Nigeria risks leaving millions of its citizens without the tools they need to participate fully in national development.
The enduring question is not simply whether Awolowo anticipated some of the difficulties Nigeria faces today. It is whether the country is prepared to make the long-term investments necessary to address them.
A nation that neglects the education and welfare of its children risks compromising its future. Investing in their abilities, protecting their opportunities and preparing them for productive lives is not merely a social responsibility. It is an investment in Nigeria’s security, prosperity and survival as a nation.
THE LETTER:
Letter from Chief Obafemi Awolowo to President Shehu Shagari
Date: July 2, 1981
From: Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria – UPN)
To: Alhaji Shehu Shagari (President, Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Dear Mr. President,
Subject: OUR SHIP OF STATE IS FAST APPROACHING A HUGE ROCK
There is frightful distress and suffering in the land.
Our ship of state is fast approaching a huge rock, and unless you, as the chief helmsman, quickly rise to the occasion and steer the ship away from it, it will hit with an unspeakable disaster.
The economy is in a state of severe deterioration. The external reserves of the country have been drastically depleted, while foreign and domestic debt continues to rise unchecked. Inflation is biting hard on ordinary citizens, and government revenues are rapidly shrinking.
It is therefore meet and proper that all those who have something to contribute should do so.
I do fervently and will continue fervently to pray that I may be proved wrong. For something within me tells me, loud and clear, that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day, there is a dreadful, stern, and gloomy future awaiting us if urgent steps are not taken to reverse our present economic course.
Yours faithfully,
Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Tags: Obafemi Awolowo, free education, Nigeria’s insecurity, education in Nigeria, national development, Nigerian politics
