Nigeria’s public school system, once regarded as the bedrock of opportunity for millions of families, is now weighed down by overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated infrastructure, and inadequate learning materials.
While demand for education continues to grow, many public schools across the country struggle to cope, raising urgent questions about the future of the system and its ability to prepare children for a competitive world.
In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, pupils at some public primary schools sit three to a bench designed for two, while others stand through lessons because there are simply not enough chairs. Teachers, overwhelmed by class sizes of up to 80 students, often have little choice but to adopt rote learning methods. The situation is not unique to Lagos. From Kano to Rivers, reports of overcrowded classrooms dominate conversations about public education.
A recent survey by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) estimated that Nigeria has a shortage of over 250,000 classrooms nationwide. With population growth and increasing school enrollment driven by government campaigns to boost literacy, the gap is widening faster than authorities can respond.
“We are seeing more children coming to school, which is good, but the facilities have not kept pace,” said an education officer in Kaduna State. “Many schools still rely on structures built decades ago, and they can no longer carry the load.”
Physical infrastructure tells a grim story. Roofs leak during the rainy season, and walls are cracked in many public schools. In rural communities, some classrooms have no doors or windows, leaving pupils exposed to the weather. In extreme cases, lessons are held under trees.
In Enugu State, a teacher described how her students had to pause classes whenever rain began, because water flooded their classroom through broken ceilings. “We sometimes resume lessons outside once the rain stops,” she said.
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The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that nearly 60 percent of public schools in Nigeria require rehabilitation. For many, basic facilities like toilets, potable water, and electricity remain absent. This creates a hostile learning environment that affects attendance and performance, particularly for female students.
Beyond crumbling buildings, public schools also face severe shortages of textbooks and instructional materials. Pupils often share outdated books, while teachers improvise with chalk and blackboards. In northern states, the challenge is compounded by insecurity and displacement, which disrupts both teaching and learning.
“Imagine trying to teach modern science without equipment or visual aids,” said a secondary school teacher in Kano. “Students are expected to compete in global exams, yet they learn with tools from the 1980s.”
Successive Nigerian governments have acknowledged the crisis and rolled out intervention programs through UBEC and state ministries of education. The federal government’s 2 percent Consolidated Revenue Fund dedicated to UBEC has financed new classrooms, teacher training, and learning resources. Several state governors also claim to have prioritized school rehabilitation.
For instance, in Borno State, over 500 classrooms have been rebuilt in communities affected by insurgency. In Lagos, model schools with modern facilities are being constructed. But education experts argue that these efforts, while commendable, remain insufficient.
“Nigeria needs a radical scale-up of investment in education infrastructure,” said Professor Jide Olanrewaju, an education policy analyst. “Current interventions are piecemeal and cannot match the explosive growth in student numbers.”
According to UNESCO, countries are encouraged to dedicate at least 15 to 20 percent of their annual budgets to education. Nigeria’s allocation in 2025 remains below 10 percent, despite promises by policymakers to increase investment. The consequence is a widening infrastructure gap that international donors and NGOs alone cannot fill.
Development partners like UNICEF and the World Bank continue to support school rehabilitation and literacy programs. Yet the sheer scale of need across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory makes sustained government commitment indispensable.
The crumbling infrastructure is not just a policy issue; it has human consequences. Children in poorly equipped schools often perform worse in standardized examinations like WAEC and NECO compared to their peers in better-resourced institutions. Many drop out entirely, contributing to Nigeria’s status as home to one of the world’s largest out-of-school populations, estimated at 10 million children.
For parents, frustration is growing. While those with means migrate their children to private schools, millions of families who depend on public education feel trapped. “We want our children to learn, but the schools are broken,” lamented a mother in Osun State. “Sometimes it feels like the government has forgotten us.”
Education advocates insist that reversing the decline will require more than promises. They call for a holistic approach that combines infrastructure renewal with teacher training, curriculum reform, and community participation.
One suggested model is the adoption of public-private partnerships (PPP), where private investors help rehabilitate and manage schools under government oversight. Another is leveraging technology to supplement classroom learning, though this raises concerns about the digital divide.
As Nigeria continues to debate the future of its education system, the condition of public school infrastructure remains a litmus test of national priorities. For now, the classrooms where the nation’s next generation gathers are themselves in desperate need of rescue.