Al-Hikmah University Journal

This paper concerns itself with the decline in the quality of education in Nigeria. The researchers detailed the evolution of education in Nigeria, the concept and essence of education in general as well as the effects of a defective education on the society, using a qualitative approach. Following the researchers’ observations as stakeholders in the educational sector and the views of different scholars and sources, it was found that different factors account for a defective quality of education. These factors include privatisation and commercialisation of education, poor quality of teachers, inadequate  due diligence in the teachers’ recruitment process, poor teacher training process, indiscipline amongst the learning youths, over-reliance on artificial or synthetic intelligence, nonchalant attitudes of parents, defective educational policies, distraction occasioned by the use of social media, poor  foundation at the lower levels of education, poor attitudes of the new-generation parents, teachers’ excess and unfeasible workload, and poor reading culture among others. Concerning the effects, which a failed education can have on the country, it was highlighted that defective education can produce intellectually-poor leaders, can lead to collapse of all sectors, youth unemployment, poverty and criminality. Furthermore, poor quality of education can lead to poor health and shorter life expectancy, problems with raising children and social exclusivity or isolation and lack of voice. In the final analysis, it was concluded that all hands must be on deck to save Nigeria’s educational system. Children, parents, teachers, schools, communities and indeed, the government have an obligation to perform, while understanding that education standardisation is not the responsibility of only one of the above-mentioned stakeholders.