From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
In 2021, the education sector in Nigeria witnessed activities that recorded successes in some areas and failures in others. It was a mixture of ups and downs for the sector.
Federal Ministry of Education
The year started with the issues of budgetary allocation to education. Out of the N13.08 trillion national budget, education was allocated N742.5 billion. Expectedly, stakeholders described the allocation as “poor,” reminding government that it ran short of the 26 per cent recommendation of UNESCO.
Nevertheless, they challenged the managers of the sector to make good use of the available resources to revive the system and reverse the dwindling fortunes of the sector. Howbeit, there were factors that contributed to the sector, positively or otherwise. 
Regrettably, activities at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Abuja, were at the lowest ebb because of the prolonged absence of the minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was said to be treating an undisclosed ailment. He was practically invisible in the ministry in 2021. His absence started in 2020, when he spent more time shuttling between hospitals in Nigeria and abroad treating an undisclosed ailment. Minister of State, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, was co-opted into the Presidential Task Force (PTF) to fight COVID-19.
Nwajiuba, Permanent Secretary Sonny Echono and other directors practically ran the ministry, with Adamu reportedly showing up once in while. But there was a limit to what the ‘caretakers’ could do or decisions to take because of limited authority conferred on them.
A top staff of the ministry who pleaded anonymity confirmed that the senior minister was down with an ailment, which forced him to shuttle between local and foreign health facilities. The source also confirmed that the issue of ill health extended to the executive secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abubakar Rasheed. Both have been in and out of hospitals at home and abroad.
However, in August 2021, the reappointment of some heads of parastatals under the ministry was announced, except for a few whose tenures were not renewed.
National Secondary Schools Education Commission
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the National Secondary Schools Education Commission (NSSEC), began full operations with the appointment of the first executive secretary, Dr. Benjamin Abakpa, and other principal officers. The commission was a major achievement of the ministry, as well as the review of policies and programmes to guide education administration in Nigeria.
Shortly after, NSSEC officials visited relevant agencies and stakeholders to solicit support for the smooth take-off of the commission. In one of the visits, Abakpa announced plans to review curricula being used for teaching and learning in secondary schools, especially the senior classes.
He said NSSEC was mandated to revamp senior secondary education in Nigeria to meet global standards, and the commission mapped out realistic strategies to achieve the target. He was optimistic that the strategies would help in addressing some of the challenges confronting the senior secondary education sub-sector. He solicited support of stakeholders to collaborate with NSSEC to ensure that the lost glory of the senior secondary education is fully restored.
JAMB
Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, was among the heads of parastatals reappointed for another five-year term. JAMB successfully conducted the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for over 1.3 million candidates but not without a deluge of challenges. The board introduced National Identification Number (NIN) as mandatory requirement for the 2021 exercise to assist in fighting impersonation and other malpractices.
It explained that NIN was to eliminate multiple registration and curtail malpractices that often characterised the registration process. JAMB claimed that NIN successfully flushed out “fake people” from the examination process.
JAMB also delisted some computer-based test (CBT) centres from its database for performing below minimum standards in the 2021 UTME. It also arrested candidates who impersonated others during the examination. The board remitted N3.51 billion to the national treasury as part of its 2021 operating surplus.
TRCN
Teacher’s Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) was among the most mentioned agencies of the ministry in 2021 because of its commitment to end the era of unregistered/unlicensed teachers. December 31, 2019, was set as the deadline for unlicensed teachers to get certified or face unfriendly actions from the government task team.
However, the enforcement was not as loud as expected, perhaps, due to some challenges, including manpower. Nevertheless, thousands of “uncertified teachers” participated in the Professional Qualification Examination (PQE), which TRCN conducted in 2021.
Perhaps, this earned the registrar, Prof Josiah Ajiboye, reappointment for another term. He disclosed that over two million teachers obtained the TRCN professional certificate. They automatically escaped the wrath of government, including outright eviction from the classroom.
He was happy that the council successfully built teachers’ career path policy to remove teachers from the normal scheme of service to a special scheme as well as prioritize their welfare. He said the era of using teaching jobs as political patronage was over, insisting that the teaching profession was no longer an all-comers’ job.
NCNE
Upon his appointment for an additional five years, executive secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), Prof. Bashir Usman, suggested that the solution to farmers/herders’ crisis was in advocacy, sensitisation and enlightenment: “NCNE has been in the forefront of providing formal education to the nomads, as well as using people they respect to pass important messages to them.”
NECO
The National Examination Council (NECO) was thrown into mourning in June 2021 when its registrar, Prof. Godswill Obioma, was killed by unknown gunmen who raided his house. He was replaced by Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi.
NECO last year conducted examinations, including the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) for students in secondary schools. Wushishi said the number of candidates that registered for the examination was 1,233,631, with 657,389, male making 53.28 per cent, and 576,242 female, 46.71 per cent.
Number of candidates that sat for the examination was 1,226,796, with 653,418 male, 53.26 per cent, and 573,378 female, representing 46.74 per cent. Number of candidates with special needs was 1,119, with the breakdown as follows: 59 Albinos, 174 with autism, 708 deaf and 178 visually impaired.
NCCE
Prof Paulinus Okwelle was Executive, Secretary of National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), in April 2021. He has spent nearly one year of his tenure on the “learning curve.” The commission is yet to roll out its policies and programmes.
However, there are indications that he has stepped into the shoes of his predecessor, Prof Bappah Aliyu, who practically went on “official slumber” during his tenure. It was also observed that Okwelle has chosen to remain and operate from the comfort of his office.
Observers believe this unarguably add nothing to the development of colleges of education responsible for the training of basic education teachers. NCCE officials at present “only attend convocations of colleges of education.”
NABTEB
National Business and Technical Education Board (NABTEB) intensified its campaign to win the hearts of more Nigerians. It strived to make them understand the importance of technical education and certification. It conducted examinations for thousands of candidates in various categories of its certification.
Its Registrar, Prof Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe, engaged in strategic meetings with relevant stakeholders particularly other examination bodies like JAMB, NECO and WAEC to strengthen its systems and ensure stronger collaborations that would improve credibility.
UBEC
Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobbyi, was among those whose tenures were renewed. He lamented huge sums of unutilised funds lying with the commission.
He said N120 billion was lying in the coffers of the commission unutilised by state governments as at December 31, 2020: “States are not forthcoming with their counterpart funds to access the money. This has greatly contributed to the infrastructural and manpower challenges being faced in the states as regards basic education services.”
In 2021, the commission began the construction of 17 new smart schools at the cost of N350 million each in states that are yet to benefit from the project. It also introduced the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), to assist in taking children off the street back to school, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children.
It said the ABEP curriculum was designed by the NERDC for an abridged programme for school-age children who had dropped out of school or had never been to school. UBEC also championed the development and deployment of e-learning software expected to integrate modern learning approaches into basic education delivery and also ensure that the education system keeps pace with global best practices.
NLN
National Library of Nigeria (NLN) continued its advocacy to promote reading culture using the platform of the National Readership Promotion Campaign (NRPC.)
National Librarian, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, said digitization of the National Library, its activities and repositories was at the centre of her agenda: “The aim is not just to preserve repositories but to make them available to the public in an easier to access mode.
“We shall commence this process of digitization immediately after ironing out copyright issues with the respective copyright owners.
“We will also leverage on information technology to make things more convenient for the public. By this, it will no longer be necessary for people to physically visit our branches before accessing materials needed for research.”
TETFund
Research and development became the second name of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in 2021. Executive secretary, Prof. Elias Bogoro, championed a campaign for improved research and development. Billions in research funds were distributed to institutions and researchers.
About N6.3 billion was approved for 217 research proposals as recommended by the National Research Fund (NRF) under the 2020 grant cycle exercise. Also, N1 billion each was approved for 12 institutions for the establishment of centres of excellence, in addition to 12 centres earlier established in universities in the 2020 intervention.
In 2021, government approved N292.6 billion to be disbursed to publicly-owned universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as interventions. Each public university was allocated N906 million, while N628 million was allocated to each polytechnic and college of education. There was also N8.5 billion reserved for special impact research and development.
NUC
Activities at the National Universities Commission (NUC) were at the slowest pace in the period under review. First was the effect of COVID-19, and, second, instability/unavailability of its executive secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, on health grounds.
It was gathered that he has been in and out of hospitals home and abroad in search of solutions to an undisclosed ailment.
NERDC
The Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) was completely silent in 2021, unlike the previous year when it came under serious public scrutiny over the merger of some basic education subjects and other curriculum-related activities.
Responding, the National Council on Education (NCE), directed NERDC executive secretary, Prof. Ismail Junaid, to make necessary corrections on the identified subjects and reintroduce History as a subject in schools.
NTI
The National Teachers Institute (NTI) was a reference point for capacity building and excellence until few years ago when Aminu Ladan Sarahu was replaced with Prof Garba Dahuwa as Registrar.
Dahuwa couldn’t do much until the end of his tenure in 2021. A top official of the institute said he had health challenges, which affected his performance.
However, in September 2021, Prof Musa Garba Maitafsir, was appointed the Executive Secretary of NTI.
NBTE
Nothing much in terms of achievement was recorded in the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), perhaps, due to change of leadership. Some officials of the board who pleaded anonymity said incessant industrial actions in the polytechnics system were responsible for the perceived underperformance of the board.
But other staff insisted that the board was recording success until the tenure of Dr Masa’ud Kazaure, as Executive Secretary ended and he became personal aide to the minister.
In April, Prof Idris Bugaje was appointed substantive Executive Secretary. He said his administration will within the first year, be anchored on a-3S agenda namely; Scheme of Service, Skills and the NBTE Spirit.
NBAIS
There was practically no landmark activity that took place at the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) other than payment of salaries and other entitlements of workers.
NIEPA
In 2021, as it was in previous years, there were hardly tangible activities, except payment of staff salaries at the National Institute for Education Planning and Administration (NIEPA).
NINLAN
National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) was among the agencies of the Federal Ministry of Education that went on “official slumber” in 2021. Little or nothing was heard about the institute. Nevertheless, there was consistency in the payment of workers’ salaries and other entitlements.
NMC
Nigerian Mathematical Centre (NMC) in 2021, had series of engagements to promote the study of mathematics and science. It organized postgraduate foundation courses in Mathematics, Theoretical Physics, Computer Science, Statistics and Mathematical Sciences Education Programme.
The centre also conducted two stages of the 2021 Nigerian National Mathematical Sciences Olympiad competitions among secondary school students, in addition to other competitions for secondary and tertiary institution students.
NIFLV
Nigerian French Language Village (NIFLV) was established to provide a platform for Nigerians to leverage on to get acquainted with French culture including the language. It is a domestic alternative to the mandatory year-abroad language immersion programmes for undergraduates of French studies from Nigerian Universities. Unfortunately, not much was heard from the village in 2021.
NMEC
Nothing was heard from the National Commission for Adult Education and Mass Literacy (NMEC), last year. Not even in the September 18, 2021, World Literacy Day celebration.