Nigeria’s quest for industrialisation, digital transformation and sustainable economic growth will remain constrained unless urgent investments are made in strengthening the country’s education system, with stakeholders calling for a shift from one-off corporate philanthropy to long-term, systemic interventions that improve learning outcomes.
https://www.digital.zenithbank.com/ZEQ/ZEQ-jan-2026/index.html#p=1With an estimated 10.5 million primary school-age children out of school and only about one in four children aged between seven and 14 able to read a simple sentence or perform basic numeracy, experts say education should be viewed as essential national infrastructure rather than a peripheral social responsibility.
They argue that while many companies continue to support education through scholarships, classroom construction and donations, Nigeria now requires interventions that address the entire education value chain—from teacher development and student learning to school infrastructure, tertiary education access and employability.
One corporate intervention receiving attention is the education programme of the NNPC/Seplat Energy Joint Venture, which adopts a holistic approach to education by combining teacher capacity development, academic competitions, school infrastructure support, scholarships and entrepreneurship development.
According to programme records, about 34 per cent of the 780 undergraduate scholarships awarded under the initiative have benefited students from host communities. The PEARLs Quiz Competition, which currently covers secondary schools in Delta, Edo and Imo States, has impacted more than 61,000 teachers and students since its introduction in 2012.
The initiative has also invested over ₦101 million in school development projects, including libraries, classroom blocks and school buses, while the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) has trained 1,334 educators, comprising 1,232 secondary school teachers and 102 officials of state Ministries of Education.
Education advocates note that strengthening teachers is one of the most effective ways of improving learning outcomes, as one well-trained teacher can positively influence hundreds of students throughout a career.
They also observe that linking scholarships, teacher development, school infrastructure and entrepreneurship support creates a more sustainable education ecosystem than isolated interventions that often deliver short-term visibility without lasting impact.
Stakeholders believe the approach offers useful lessons for corporate Nigeria, particularly as industries across the country increasingly require skilled professionals to remain competitive.
“The future workforce for every sector is being shaped in today’s classrooms,” education development advocates noted. “The energy sector needs engineers and technicians, healthcare requires highly skilled professionals, manufacturing depends on technical competence, while the digital economy is driven by software developers, analysts and innovators. Weak education today ultimately translates into lower productivity tomorrow.”
They therefore urged governments at all levels to deepen partnerships with the private sector to improve educational outcomes, while encouraging companies to adopt structured programmes that strengthen teaching quality, learning environments, access to higher education and pathways to employment.
The experts also challenged the media to spotlight interventions that deliver measurable, long-term impact rather than focusing solely on ceremonial donations and short-term initiatives.
They maintained that as Nigeria seeks to build a globally competitive economy, corporate investment in education should be seen not merely as corporate social responsibility, but as a strategic investment in the country’s future workforce, economic resilience and national development.
According to them, Nigeria does not simply need more corporate interventions in education—it needs interventions that are better designed, better coordinated and capable of producing sustainable results across the entire education value chain.
