By Harold Olamilokun
How many people remember their primary 2 teacher? Not many, I’d imagine. And that’s the point. Impacting knowledge is often a thankless job. Very few educators or institutions are remembered when their “product”, goes on to achieve greatness. But that is the quiet power of education. It is like planting a tree. You may not be there when the fruits start to yield, but if the tree is never planted, the future will simply go hungry.
The true value of education should not only be measured by how many students are enrolled or graduated, but by the real-world impact it makes in their lives and in society. Education must shift from being a generic ladder to becoming a functional launchpad. Our national focus should no longer be just about literacy or certificates, but about transformation and utility.
If we want to change the future, we must begin by changing how we see the learner. Many students in Nigeria are one unpaid term away from dropping out. For too long, we have relied on hope and informal networks to carry our youth through their educational journey. But we now live in an economy that is driven by skills, speed, and systems.
Digital education is no longer a luxury. It is a core requirement for survival in the 21st century. Thousands of young Nigerians are showing that when given access to tech-focused, self-paced learning, they do not hesitate. They embrace it. Courses like web development, digital marketing, AI tools, and cybersecurity are no longer future skills. They are present-day tools for economic participation. But to scale this effectively, we must move from goodwill to governance. From inspiration to infrastructure. From charity to national strategy.
If I could push for one transformative policy, it would be the institutionalization of a National Talent Acceleration Framework that deliberately aligns education with enterprise. This would aim at focusing on practice, not theory.
We have seen this done successfully in countries like China. They reformed their schools and engineered a learning-production ecosystem. Technical and digital skills became national priorities. The education sector was retooled to serve economic objectives. The private sector became an active player and as a result, students were learning to power industries.
That kind of intentionality is urgently needed in Nigeria. A system whereby senior secondary school, students already have the option to pursue certified digital or technical skills. Rather than waiting endlessly for university admission, they can enter an internship or structured workforce training pathway that builds their competence, confidence, and income potential.
But here’s the shift we must make: while the decision to take this route should be optional for students, it must become mandatory for organizations to open their doors to them. Just as fast-food chains and retail outlets abroad, employ teenagers under clearly regulated systems, Nigerian organizations must also be required to employ and train these young people as part of a national youth workforce programme.
This should be governed under a fair work policy that protects the rights of teenage workers, ensures dignity, safety, fair pay, and learning outcomes. Organizations that meet minimum standards, whether in hospitality, logistics, creative, digital, or agriculture, should be certified and given tax-based or branding incentives to participate.
By the age of 16 or 17, thousands of young Nigerians could already be gainfully engaged. They could build careers from the ground up. They could choose university later or grow steadily through industry certifications, just like many successful professionals do globally. This model would not only reduce pressure on tertiary institutions and admissions systems, but it would also directly address unemployment, crime, and economic exclusion.
We already see the logic of this in the military where you can join the rank and file of the armed forces with a Senior Secondary School Certificate. But to become a commissioned officer, you must be a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy or hold a degree from a recognized tertiary institution. That structure acknowledges multiple paths to national service and leadership. So why do we treat civilian employment like it must begin after tertiary? Why can’t we build a civilian version of structured national entry, where high school graduates are absorbed into the economy and empowered to contribute meaningfully, immediately?
Education must take its rightful place as an economic accelerator and not a waiting room. We must build a system where learning is accessible and actionable. Where policies are predictive, not just reactive. Where the country produces creators, builders, and problem solvers, not just celebrating certificates.
We must be determined as a country to transform its education system, because we absolutely can. We should plant the trees today, knowing we may not be the ones to sit under their shade. If we get it right, generations will not just remember what we said. They will live in what we built.
Published on https://thenicheng.com/planting-trees-for-a-future-we-may-never-see-rethinking-education-in-nigeria/