The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has sounded the alarm that Nigeria is being overtaken by other African countries in human capital development and technological progress, citing decades of institutional neglect, policy reversals, and poor execution.
Speaking at the 27th convocation of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) in Lagos, where he was awarded an honorary fellowship, the monarch said the situation, predicted two decades ago by former National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, has worsened.
“Nigeria has suffered institutional neglect, policy somersaults and poor implementation,” Achebe said. “While other African countries are rapidly advancing with digital technology, we are still struggling to build the human capacity needed to compete.”
He pointed to the chronic underfunding of education as a major impediment to national progress. Over the past 25 years, Nigeria has allocated just 7.81 per cent of its budget to education—less than half of UNESCO’s recommended 20–26 per cent. In 2025, the combined federal and 22-state allocation dropped further to 7.3 per cent, with only Enugu, Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa meeting the minimum benchmark.
By contrast, Ghana (24.37%), Kenya (21.70%), Senegal (21.32%), South Africa (19.94%) and Morocco (17.61%) have consistently outspent Nigeria in education investment.
The Obi of Onitsha also warned of the widening gap between demand for higher education and available capacity. Two decades ago, more than two million candidates competed for only 750,000 university places. Today, with Nigeria’s population estimated between 233 and 237 million—up from 140 million in 2006—the shortfall has deepened.
He noted that the “Japa” brain drain is further eroding the nation’s pool of skilled professionals, undermining efforts to compete in a fast-evolving global economy.
Recalling his remarks at the 2024 launch of Chris Anyanwu’s book Bold Leap, Achebe likened Nigeria to a cow being milked dry by selfish politics, warning: “We either kill Nigeria or fix it.” He urged President Bola Tinubu to convene a non-partisan national economic and security summit to address insecurity, economic hardship, and the decline in citizens’ quality of life.
NAL President, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, in his opening remarks, stressed that effective governance is key to national wellbeing and called for collaboration between the humanities and technology sectors.
“The humanities community must work with technologists and regulators,” he said. “Humanists can help craft policies on digital ethics, teach digital literacy in cultural contexts, and ensure technology serves African values.”
Akinrinade identified Nigeria’s major challenges as underdevelopment, economic instability, political crises, poor infrastructure, erratic electricity supply, inadequate roads and water systems, a failing healthcare system, food insecurity, environmental degradation, poor education, and corruption. He also decried a collapsing value system reflected in poor leadership, low productivity, declining civic responsibility, and lack of patriotism, urging the Federal Executive Council to institute a value re-orientation programme.
University of Lagos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, called for a national culture that celebrates integrity and positive achievements. “Until Nigerians are proud of who we are, we can never be great,” she said.
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